The Reaper
by Stupified333
Summary: A third legend. An interloper from another world. How will a man out of time help close the Breach? A DA:I fic including an OC from another universe in conjunction with an OC Inquisitor Trevelyan. Pairings are Barbaras X Leliana and Inquisitor X Cullen. Enjoy! Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age or any of its characters
1. Barbaras Dawnstriker Character Profile

Barbaras Dawnstriker Character Profile

**Name**: Barbarus Holmstein Dawnstriker

**Age**: 39

**Ethnicity**: High-Human

**Body Description**:

**Face**: An unnaturally green right eye. Deep terrible scarring around his left eye, his left eye is milky white as if blind. More scarring along the left side of his mouth and cheek, deep scarred cuts, right side of his mouth replaced with silver teeth and jaw.

**Hair**: Dark black hair, shoulder length that he keeps up in the back. His injuries prevent facial hair from growing on his face.

**Physicality**: On the taller side but of mostly average height compared to other men. Incredibly fit due to his intense training as a Hunter Reaper. Many scars on his body from past experimentation. Covered most of them up with tattoo's affiliated with the Hunter Reapers of Bazyek.

**Tattoos**: Four simple bars with a skull on the top on his left forearm to signify his position as Master Class Hunter Reaper. The Reaper Hunter Insignia, a black raven with a red skull and two white swords crossed in the back covers his back. Another on the left side of his chest is a collection of bird feathers meant as a tribute to his warbird, Pilate. One covering much of his neck which depicts a daunting, flaming skull eating a serpant. Other smaller ones litter his body, skulls, beast, all in vain to hide his scars. They hide most. Not at, but most.

**Background**: Abandoned at a young age and growing as a street urchin, Barbarus was a nameless child on the street just barely getting back in the large, dismal city of Molstar in the world of Wyunnlyk. He was eventually kidnapped by a group of rouge mages and alchemist who performed a wild and painful experiments on him with the hopes of turning him into a mindless killing machine. However, before they could succeed they were invaded by a squad of Hunter Reapers, leading to the Hunter Reaper's adoption of the young, nameless lad. The Hunter Reapers, working under the authority and whim of the Church of Attenuation, he was named Barbarus Holmstein Dawnstriker and brought up as an apprentice to the Order of Hunter Reapers. It was quickly discovered he had powers resulting from the pact made with an ancient goddess and was trained as a Hunter Reaper with this power in mind. He was taught to worship the other gods of the church as well, through hard work and training gaining their blessing as well. Quickly rising through the ranks of the organization as a young man, he earned the moniker "Black wolf" for his ferocity in battle. Through dedicated service and incredibly strong faith he became master class, leading a squad of Hunter Reapers that hunted all manner of man and beast that stalked the night and would otherwise do harm to the church and her people. He fell in love and eventually married his longtime partner, Dice. They had children, eventually giving up their status as Hunter Reapers to live peaceful lives. Peace would not remain, however, as after one trip he came back to his home to find his wife and children slaughtered; evidence pointed to rogue wizards and witches. He'd spend the next years hunting them, only to die by their hand. That's where the story begins for our Reaper….

**Personality**: Oh you'll see….

**Friends**:

Pilate, his warbird which using the power of Yultenven he can briefly inhabit and see what he sees. Pilate is a mixture between a hawk and raven, all black with red eyes.

**Skills/Abilities**: Due to his training and education with the Hunter Reapers he has incredible physical capabilities, hand to hand combat, use of a sword and crossbow, as well as throwing knives make him a difficult opponent to face. Not to mention the hidden cannon in his black metatide arm. Metatide plates surgically placed within him also make him incredibly resilient to physical damage. He also possesses some magical capabilities, which go as follows:

**Balka, God of Mercy**: Allows him to cast a spell on him and others in a heightened state that increases battle prowess, activated with a long or short invocation depending on experience and power of blessing.

**Grimmon, Goddess of Light**: Allows for Hunter Reapers to cast magiks against unholy beast, typically resulting in their burning or complete implosion, can also be used on weapons.

**Hulpa, God of Health and Longevity**: Allows for two spells, simple healing or increases vitality and energy for a short time on intended target.

**Carcivia, Goddess of Darkness and Shadow**: Allows of Hunter Reapers to step into the shadows-literally-allowing them to move in an almost spirit like state among any place of darkness for a time, which depends on power of blessing. Most don't have it due to the sometimes harmful side effects.

**Yultenyen, Goddess of Death and Spirit**: Allows for Barbarus to absorb the souls of those he has killed, gaining incrementally small amounts of power with each absorption. Can release these spirits as a spiritual attack, is particularly effective against mages as it severs their connection with their magic and gods. Can apply to his weapons.

**Weapons/Equipment**:

**Hunter Blade, Frostbite**: Possesses a frost enchantment of significant power. Inscribed in the Bazyek tongue is "Spill the blood of beast and men so their holiness may reign" following symbolistic runes representing Balka, Hulpa, Grimmon, and Carcivia.

**Hunter Crossbow, Spiker**: A unique crossbow, uses clips of bolts rather than a large chamber and bowstring. Has the same inscription as Chillrend. Can use a multitude of bolts as well as be enchanted with Yultenven or Grimmon.

**Hunter Coat, Hat, Boots**: While on the lighter side, does possess sufficient padding and plating for heavy resistance to magic and relative resistance to

**Yultenyen's Eye**: His eye allows him to see in the dark and sense beats of the night from a distance.

**Yultenyen's Mark**: What allows him to make offerings to the ancient goddess. A mark consisting of a triangle with three lines drawn in the middle. Meant to represent the three stages of living: Birth, Life, and Death.

**Hunter throwing Knives, Kalibari**: Throwing knives often laced with poison or a paralysis salve, Barbaras often uses them as utility on smaller opponents with cracks in their armor.

**Hand Canon, Metatide metal arm, "Bone Crusher"** : Not only is it deadly being used as an unarmed weapon but can is also collapsible to reveal a Cannon with several barrels, all of which can be turned using a silver mechanism. This weapon cannot be removed and is fused with his body.

**Class**: Rogue, Demon Hunter.

**Strengths/Weaknesses**: Is a good leader and excellent combatant. However, sees thing strongly in the way of his faith. Can get too invested in certain situations. Has what most would consider a _rough_ personality.


	2. Roselinde Trevelyan Character Profile

Character Profile Rosalinde Trevelyan

**Name**: Rosalinde Augenstein Trevelyan

**Age**: 23

**Ethnicity**: Human

**Body Description**:

**Face**: A woman of fair features she has striking green eyes and freckles that dot much of her face but are most concentrated on her cheeks. Full lips. Long, thin nose. Thin, arching eyebrows. Most would describe her as pretty as a glance. On closer inspection, they would change their opinion to beautiful.

**Hair**: Deep Red. Often keeps it up and away from her face. Rarely wears it down. When it is down, hair falls down to about mid-back.

**Physicality**: While Athletic, no core parts of the body are particularly focused on in terms of muscle mass. She is approximately 5'9 in height.

**Background**: The Trevelyan Family, a minor noble family from Ostwick, is where Rosalinde hails. She grew up rebellious, adjusting poorly to the family's sense of duty and piety when it came to the Chantry and Templar Order. She liked the action of a Templar and the studies of a Sister but could never take either completely seriously. She has faced few challenges in her life, save for the decision on how she would serve the chantry. She was sent to the conclave in order to observe both Templars and Chantry members in action, supposedly to make her final decision. That of course, is interrupted when she walks in on Corphyeous…

**Personality**: Naïve, amiable and generally tries to do the right thing. Known to be mischievous to a degree, she can bring a smile with a joke and a scream with a prank. _Hates_ Spiders.

**Friends**:

Tyrien: Her older brother, a templar. Were very close in childhood, she still holds great reverence for him as an adult.

Tilla: Little sister. Doted on her when she was back home.

**Skills/Abilities**: Generally athletic, she has decent stamina and reflexes. Also isn't a half bad shot with a bow. Not battle-tested however, leaving he with very little combat experience outside of hunting small game.

**Class**: Rogue

**Strengths/Weaknesses**:

While her personality is amiable and kind, she is untouched from the dangers of the world. This makes her a liability in combat and making momentous decisions due to her lack of experience and naivety.


	3. Reaper: Prologue

**The Reaper**

***Notes: Greetings and welcome, all! As a new fan of this series constructive criticism would be more than appreciated. While I will always do my best to do the proper research when it comes to lore and such in the DA universe, any corrections are more than welcome; I'm only human after all. Other than that, welcome and I hope you all enjoy!**

Prologue

_Let us say there was a third one, one apart from the Maker and Andraste. _

_Let us say his name was Thonrath, a man of great renown, known by all_

_Let us say he was blessed by the Maker, for his incredible devotion and skill in combat_

_Let us say, he would come, when the world was in peril, incarnated to fight evil_

_That time is now. Corphyeous has made his move. The Dread Wolf Stalks the Shadows._

_Let us all pray to the maker for their success_

Barbaras breathed heavily. He'd done all he could. He was surrounded by piles of bodies. All rogue wizards and witches. All dead. The dark, dank chamber smelled only of blood. Of iron. Of sweat. Of shit and piss. Of _death_. It was bathed in red light, that _evil_ light. The same light that had extinguished his family. He was on his knees. He was spent, unable to life his arms or move his legs. He could only raise his head to stare hatefully at the man before him. The killer of his wife. His children.

"How far you've fallen, Master Class _Hunter Reaper_." the man gloated. Barbaras sucked in a couple more breathes,

"You…were always…a coward…Langley" Barbaras wheezed out. He could feel that at least one side of his ribcage was completely broken, despite the metal plating he knew protected it. Such was the power of magic. The proud, haughty face of the man he'd once called a friend twisted in rage. Langley always did hate the truth. He kicked Barbaras heavily in the head, which impacted the floor with an audible _ting_. At least the metatide plates in his skull were doing a decent job.

"And _you_ were always too curious for your own good, _Barbaras_." Langley said with venom, lifting his staff. It was an impressive thing. A Heavy gold handle and body with a pulsating red crystal on the top. Maybe it would look even better if not in the pathetic hands of Langley.

"No matter. Your time is up. You will pay, just as they did. Farewell, _Old Friend_."

Red Light burst from the staff. He could feel his world, his consciousness bleeding away. He heard a screech from far, far away. There was sputtered curses, an ensuing explosion. Then, there was nothing. It was then that he began to hear the words:

_Let us say…_

Roselinde Trevelyan felt giddy with excitement. She'd managed to out-maneuver all the stoic, wandering mages and hushed chantry clerics to a place that was calm and _quiet_. How mother expected her to come to a final decision in this chaos was all but beyond her. She adjusted her fiery red hair-at least one strand always seemed out of place- as she carefully peeked down the next hallway of the decadently furnished temple. _All clear_. If there was one thing she loved doing more than anything it was exploring. She'd gotten in trouble more times than she could count exploring the forest near her home with Tyr and Tilly. She craved for an adventure like they told in stories. Like Varric Tethras's _The_ _Tale of the Champion_, she wanted a life of action, romance and heroism. As she wandered the empty hall, daydreaming about her own version of _The Tale of the Champion_ she heard a muffled cry. It wasn't far off, maybe a few doors down. Her heart began to race. _A Chantry sister in need? A small girl who lost her way in the temple? This could be it, her moment to shine!_ Her steps tapped lightly on the stone as she picked up her pace, identifying the room where the cry had come from. She threw open the door, expecting to find a chantry sister in peril from a lecherous templar at worse. What she saw made her think she was hallucinating. There was a woman who looked awfully similar to Divine Justinia V held in place by mages clad in armor along. Then she saw what had to be a demon, standing tall and imposing in front of the poor woman. The sight made Roselinde's heart jump in her mouth. This was sure as hell nothing like the story books.

"What the hell?" Roselinde almost whispered. She stared at the Demon. The Demon stared at her.

"Go! Get help!" the woman pleaded, sounding as if she was in great pain. In a last-ditch effort, the elderly woman smacked the glowing, green orb the demon had been holding out of its clutches. It fell and rolled right in front of her feet. Out of instinct she picked it up. She could feel it burning her hands, she yelped but it wouldn't drop from her grasp. The demon roared in rage, running towards Roselinde with death in his terrible eyes. She back pedaled, beginning to hyperventilate. There was a flash of green light. Then there was blackness

At first, Barbaras felt nothing. Then he began to feel pressure, as if he was being pushed. Then he heard the pressure, as if wind was speeding past him at an incredible speed. Then his eyes opened. He was in the sky. _The bleeding sky_. He groggily looked one way. Nothing but clouds. He looked the other way. Nothing but clouds. _I must be dreaming but gods be damned if this isn't the most vivid dream I've ever had_. His eyes became wide. He could _feel_ the wind on his skin. His coat whipping his legs, Frostbite smacking into his leg from its sheath from the pressure. _Gods, I'm falling!_ He cleared the clouds, and narrowed his eyes. One was a bright green, the other a cloudy, milky white surrounded by deeply scarred tissue. He seemed to be falling towards snowy mountains, with some sort of rubble at the top. As he sped towards the ground, faster and faster, he could see small explosions, people moving and a giant green hole in the sky. He then heard a warbled screeching to his right. Pilate, his armored warbird, was plunging down just as he, wings flapping uselessly in an attempt to gain control. He shifted his body towards his body, securing the bird with his flesh arm. He put his metatide arm before him, bracing for impact. He knew Metatide was the strongest mineral in all of Wyunnlyk. He wasn't sure it would be strong enough to break the fall from thousands of feet up in the sky. When he could make out individual characteristics of those apparently fighting below he began to scream in rage, which was muffled by the wind and the facemask covering his mouth up to his nose. _Fuck this! Fuck the gods! Fuck falling to my death! Fuck it all! _his mind screamed. The ground grew closer and closer. He closed his eyes.


	4. Chapter One: The Man Out of Time

**Chapter One: A Man Out of Time**

Leliana had been observing her companions battle against the pride demon with growing concern from a distance, notching arrow after arrow against the heavily armored beast. The prisoner, while passable with a bow, had very little battle sense. She didn't know where to put herself and it was all Cassandra could do as their frontline warrior to protect her. Meanwhile, the pride demon showed absolutely no signs of slowing down, bellowing in rage at every arrow and sword strike that bounced off its armor plating. Things began to get even worse once it began utilizing its lightning magic, Solas thankfully coming to the rescue with his magical barriers.

"Keep firing, focus on its chest!" Leliana rallied to the agents under her command. They gave valiant cries concentrating their efforts further. _At this rate, I'm going to run out of arrows_ Leliana thought gravely. Maker knew she didn't want to find out what would happen after that. Should could tell everyone was tiring. The templar and chantry knights were having a harder time dodging the Pride Demon's attacks; some were unlucky enough to not dodge them at all. Even Varric, whom she observed to have a happy go-lucky attitude when it came to fighting had a worried, firm expression on his face as he pegged the demon with bolts from Bianca. The prisoner simply _wasn't_ pulling her weight. She then heard a sound. At first, she couldn't make it out. Then, she realized it was screaming, loud enough to be heard over the chaos of battle. She barely had time to look up before she saw a black streak come plunging down from the sky, landing squarely atop the demons head before flying to the ground a distance away due to the force of the impact. The whole battle came at a miraculous standstill as Leliana realized with shock that what had collided with the demon was none other than a man.

OO

Roselinde could feel her lungs burning. Her muscles aching. Her hand felt as if it was about to fall off from the numbness of closing the rifts. Perhaps worst of all, she was more than aware of how much of a burden she was to her comrades. Cassandra was having to spend almost all her effort protecting her exclusively. She'd barely had time to reflect on everything that had happened since she woke up in the interrogation cell. All she knew was that she was exhausted, hungry and could _really _use a bed. One moment she'd been blissfully wandering the hallways of the Temple of Sacred ashes. Now she was fighting in what little remained and pinned as the prime suspect for the explosion. It helped little that she could remember nothing, save for the dark place with the monsters and the woman. She'd barely managed to scramble out of the way of yet another one of the Pride Demon's attacks when she heard screaming and a loud _thunk _sound before she saw a figure in black being flung into a pile of rubble. She stopped and stared when she realized that it was a man, slowly getting up from pile of brick and mortar. Even the demon seemed dazed, staring at the man in what she could only guess was pure confusion. _Did that guy just fall out of the sky?! What the hell is it with today?!_ she wondered.

OO

Barbaras slowly got up, realizing he'd just fallen smack into the middle of a battle. A small group of soldiers seemed engaged with a rather large demon that he'd managed to land directly on top of, which was now looking at him with a confused and angry expression-as angry and confused as a demon could look anyway. Pilate struggled out of Barbaras's grip, settling onto his shoulder and letting out a confused squawk as if to ask _What the hell?_ The demon seemed to finally shake itself out of its stupor, running straight for him to revenge Barbaras's slight against it. Barbaras immediately flew into action. His world or not, he _knew _how to deal with demons.

OO

Leliana could barely keep her mouth closed when she watched the man's odd left arm collapse on itself, revealing what looked like a sizeable cannon. With a deafening _boom_, it fired, punching a hole straight through the thing's chest. The pride demon stopped in its tracks, looking down at the wound in disbelief. Without slowing down the stranger-in a surprising display of agility and strength- leaped atop the demon's shoulders, delivering powerful strikes to its neck with his sword and long dagger. The other combatants took that as their cue to charge, everyone throwing the rest of what they had at the demon. The man seemed to finally break through the armor plating as the demon's neck began to show blackish blood falling and….ice? _Just who is this man? _Leliana wondered in bewilderment.

OO

The man then stuck his seemingly normal arm into the demon's open neck wound, much to Roselinde's dismay. She knew she was close to running out of arrows and her muscles could _really _use a break. It was almost providence, how he'd fallen out of the sky. _Perhaps this guy was sent by Andraste herself_ Roselinde thought, half-delirious from pain and exhaustion. He shouted something and a great whiteish-blue light emitted from his hand and eye, almost blinding her. When the light subsided, the man stood atop the demon, the beast finally slain.

"Roselinde!" Cassandra shouted. She whipped her head in the direction of the voice. Cassandra pointed to the now semi-stable rift. It needed closing. _Just one more, Roselinde. Just one more. _she thought, slowly getting to her feet. She raised her hand towards the breach. Everything had been so normal, maybe not perfect but there sure wasn't a giant freaking hole in the sky. She had a feeling that for her, there would be no going back after this. No simple days in the sun, walking the grounds with Tily. No afternoon tea when Tyr came to visit. No more nagging from Lady Aylin. She felt pain rock her arm once again and she couldn't help but cry out and fall to her knees as she willed the power to surge forward. This was not at all how she planned her great debut as a hero. _At least I got to meet Varric Tethres, so cool!_ she thought for a moment, a strange smile on her lips as the rift closed and she collapsed in Cassandra's arms that had been supporting her.

OO

The last way Barbaras had been expected to be thanked for slaying these people's demon was being put in chains. He complied with their demands however, even though he couldn't understand their language. A woman clad in armor he could've seen Dice wearing watched him intensely as the small trope of men with swords escorted him down the mountain. Of course, things turned to shit when this little trope of merry men attempted to secure Pilate when Barbaras's companion landed on his shoulder. He knocked the man out cold with a strike to the head. Another raised his sword to hit him with the flat of the blade. Barbaras was too fast. An uppercut with both his chained hands cupped together sent him playing. One of the soldiers shield bashed his metatide arm. It was like hitting a stone wall. Barbaras knocked the shield aside delivering a kick to the man's chest that sent him reeling. Pilate squawked and screeched around the commotion, attempting to distract Barbaras's new captors. A man got in a good pommel strike to Barbaras's head despite his attempt to dodge. He felt his vision dim. _Shit_. Another delivered a jarring shield bash to his back that nearly sent him sprawling. Just as he turned to face the attack, he received the flat of a sword to the side of his head, knocking him to the ground. His vision swam as he felt the guards beat him into submission. He saw, with blurry focus, the woman who had been staring at him rushing towards him. He could make out very distinctive red hair. Her hood must've fallen. _Oh Dice, where have the gods taken me?_ he questioned as his consciousness faded to nothingness.

OO

Leliana wasn't quite sure what to make of the man that lay unconscious before her. He was put into a different, smaller cell than Roselinde had been confined to, due to Cullen's opinion that he was a "danger" after hearing what he'd done to Cullen's men. The man's combat prowess reminded her of the Hero of Ferelden. Even as a mage, he seemed to share this same man's recklessness in combat. When she'd finally got the soldiers to stop beating the stranger they told her that he'd gone berserk once they'd tried to secure his strange bird. Out of consideration for him, Leliana insisted that the bird be put in the cell with him. The armor it wore was certainly nothing Leliana had seen before. It was carefully carved out of what appeared to be some sort of metal, similar to the man's arm. It covered both of the bird's wings and some of its head. It looked at her curiously, tilting its head. It squawked at her. She smiled kindly at it. She thought of her old companion Shale. Shale would've tried to pulverize the poor creature on sight. The guards had stripped the man of all his weapons and coat, which ended up amassing a rather large pile on the nearby table. He had a sword, a long dagger, a crossbow, a seemingly endless amount of throwing knives along with various powers and flask that Leliana recognized were to make bombs. Not to mention his coat with its strange insignia on the back and odd design. A Black Raven sitting on a Red Skull with two white swords behind them. The insignia was faded as the coat seemed worn. The coat only had one sleeve, which Leliana assumed was due to the arm and it's rather large size. It was beautifully designed, the shining black metal woven with strange, intricate designs and symbols. It also had a shoulder guard that the arm slightly taller than his head. The fingers of it were also weirdly sharpened, looking more like claws than fingers. The guards even tugged on it, thinking it to be a weapon separate from himself. They were wrong. Leliana thought of his entrance, how he'd literally come to them falling out of the sky. Leliana was incredibly devoted to her faith, she'd been praying in fervor for the Maker to deliver them from the catastrophic events of the past few days. She felt her heart pang with sadness and guilt when thought of the Divine. _Perhaps…he is the answer_? Leliana thought hopefully. Of course, it was too early to say. They had even called in Solas to attempt to read some of the inscriptions they'd spotted on the man's armor but to no avail; Solas hadn't recognized the script. As a precaution Solas cast a translation spell on the man. Then he stirred and grunted. He rolled over, rolling off his cot and onto the stone. He groaned, his eyes fluttering open. The bird squawked excitedly, jumping on the man's body, pecking at his face. He muttered curses as he got into a sitting position onto the cot. He then noticed Leliana half-hidden in the shadows. She stepped forward, bowing slightly with holding her hands together in front of her.

"Hello. My name is Leliana. Could I have yours?" she said. He stared at her coldly. His eyes or eye, rather, were calculating, studying her every feature. Seeming to sense no danger he stood, instantly becoming more intimidating.

"My name is Barbaras Holmstein Dawnstriker." he said, his voice as rough as ground stone. It reminded her a little of Sten.

"I'm sorry for-"

"I don't _appreciate_ being chained after slaying your demon, woman." he interrupted venomously. Leliana smiled understanding, attempting to use her bard training to her advantage.

"Well, I understand how you're feeling but you _did _attack-"

"_They _tried putting their hands on Pilate. I was defending my comrade." he said. Leliana fought the irritation that came from his constant interruption. She tried a different tactic.

"Pilate? That is the bird's name?" she asked. Barbaras nodded, adjusting his chains uncomfortably. Leliana smiled sweetly,

"My raven's name is Mr. Jangles. Perhaps they'll have to meet sometime." Barbaras grunted in reply. His focus was no longer on her, but rather, he was scanning the room. His eye stopped when he noticed his belongings piled on the table.

"My things. No one took anything, did they?" he asked with tension in his voice. Leliana shook her head,

"No. I oversaw the guards only took anything you might use to harm others. They were afraid, after your little display." Leliana said. Barbaras chuckled, a low sound that Leliana found she liked.

"I suppose I can't blame them. Where am I?" he questioned.

"Haven. In the holding cell of the town's Chantry." Leliana informed helpfully. Barbaras nodded his head slowly.

"Bigger picture. What world am I in?"

Leliana frowned at this.

"Are you saying you came from a different world, Barbaras?"

"Unless this is Wyunnlyk, then yes, I am." he said hotly, as if he was impatient for something.

"You are currently in Thedas and it is the 9th age, year 41." she said. This made him pause.

"Thedas, you said?"

Leliana nodded.

"What do you know of Thonrath?" he asked her. The name didn't ring any bells to her. Leliana heard footsteps approaching. It was Cassandra.

"Leliana, Roselinde has awoken and we are meeting with Cullen and Josephine in the war room." she informed, settling her eyes onto Barbaras.

"Oh, our savior from the sky finally awakens." she commented dryly before turning on her heal and leaving. Barbaras had his eyebrow raised at her retreating figure, seeming to bite down a retort.

"How long have I been unconscious?" he asked heavily, as if letting out a deep breath.

"A few days. You _did_ fall from the sky." Leliana reminded with the ghost of a smile on her lips. Barbaras chuckled again. It could be her imagination, but she felt as if she was starting to like the mysterious man.

OO

Roselinde's body hurt like a _bitch_. The kind of bitch that threw you against every available wall, kicked you in the ribs and punched you in the face until you were crying for your mother. She had _never, n-e-v-e-r_ had to exert herself as hard as she did on the day she closed the rifts. Worse, she was getting a headache from all the squabbling that she'd walked into between Cassandra, Commander Cullen and Lady Josephine. _Apparently, _while Roselinde recovered Cassandra and Leliana had declared the Inquisition-_whatever that was_\- alienated the asshole that was Chancellor Roderick-_good riddance_ and were now arguing on the best course of action to take from here. At least Cullen was pleasing to look at. And his hair, there was no way he didn't do something with it. If she wasn't in such a fowl mood, she'd be star struck, as she remembered Cullen Rutherford playing a role in _The Tale of the Champion_. She rubbed her temples. Hard.

She could already tell this was going to be a long day and it hadn't even truly begun. Just then, Leliana entered, followed by the "savior of the sky" as Cassandra had taken to calling him. Cullen bristled at the sight of the man.

"Leliana why is he unchained!? And fully armored?!" he exclaimed in distress. Leliana smiled at Cullen,

"It was a misunderstanding, Cullen." she explained simply. Cullen began sputtering, which Roselinde found suited his sometimes awkward persona.

"But he nearly _killed-_"

"Please, I didn't hit them _that _hard. Besides, they tried to take my bird." the man said dismissively, waving off the fuming former Templar. His voice was hard and rough as rock. She found that she disliked it immediately. Cullen narrowed his eyes and settled for crossing his arms with a huff. Roselinde almost giggled.

"Everyone," Leliana introduced, "Meet Barbaras Holmstein Dawnstriker, a man out of time, it seems."


	5. Chapter Two: The Herald of Andraste

**Chapter Two: The Herald of Andraste**

Barbaras only grunted in response, picking at a piece of bread and occasionally feeding pieces to the strange bird on his shoulder.

"Out of time?" Roselinde asked in a confused tone. Barbaras stared at her. His milky white eye freaked her out, so she focused on his green one instead. It almost reminded her of her own eyes. Almost.

"You have eyes, don't you girl? Normally people don't typically come falling from the sky." he said. She felt her face redden. _Girl?!_ _Who did this guy think he was?!_ Before anger could overtake her, better judgement prevailed. He _did_ take down the Pride Demon with seemingly little effort on his part.

"You mean to say, then, that-"

"_Yes_. I'm fairly certain I don't belong here. I'm not from this world. Your language also feels strange in my mouth. Foreign." Barbaras interrupted Josephine with an exasperated tone. Josephine sniffed. It was clear she didn't like being interrupted. Not that Barbaras seemed to care. He'd plopped down onto a chair, focusing now almost entirely on his bread. A sudden thought came to her,

"The people were calling me Herald of Andraste on my way here, what're they talking about?" she asked.

"Thanks to you closing the rifts and reports that you were pushed out of the rift by a woman, many think you are Andraste's chosen. The rumor has spread like wildfire." Leliana explained. Roselinde was reeling at this information. _Her? The __**Herald**__ of Andraste? _She wasn't anything of the sort.

"Thanks to those rumors, you and everyone involved in the inquisition have been branded Heretics in the eyes of the Chantry, Chancellor Roderick's work no doubt." Cassandra added. A bit of panic spread within Roselinde. What would mother say? This was a role she never wanted. A role she never asked for. She'd rather be a Chantry Sister or a Templar than _this_, Herald of Andraste.

"How does that make you feel, it's quite a title to say the least?" Cullen asked in a light tone. It was comforting, for someone to acknowledge she was in the room. And how she felt.

"I…_can't _be. I mean…I'm just.._me_." she said, unsure of how to put her feelings into words. Cassandra grimaced.

"Regardless of how you feel that is what you are _now_. You've inspired the people of Haven. With demons falling from the skies, they need something to believe in. That thing is you." Leliana said.

"Hope is a powerful force, when put in the right hands." Barbaras added, his tone suggesting what Roselinde felt. _These people are putting their faith in the wrong girl_.

"Moving on from that, we are in a precarious situation. We have almost no allies, little influence and you could barely call our forces a sufficient militia. Loses were heavy in the siege of the temple." Cassandra said. There was silence. Their situation was very bleak indeed. It made Roselinde queasy that she was expected to do something about it. She didn't know how to function in an Inquisition. In a militant role. That was what Tyr did. Not her. She missed her brother. She missed home. This was _nothing_ like the tales.

"My contacts found a Grand Cleric from the Chantry, Mother Giselle, who wishes to talk with you." Leliana offered, bringing Roselinde out of her stupor.

"What would that do? I thought the Chantry already denounced us. Me." Roselinde said solemnly.

"She's healing the injured in the Hinterlands near Redcliffe, many have been affected by the Mage and Templar conflict there. While those left at the top have denounced us, not _everyone _agrees with the decision. There are some, however few, who believe in what the Inquisition is trying to do." Leliana elaborated.

"And what is it that the Inquisition is trying to do? I was kinda asleep for that part." Roselinde said.

"Find whose responsible for the breach. Close it. Then restore order." Cassandra summarized succinctly. She seemed to always get straight to the point. That was…daunting to say the least. Roselinde was just _one_ person. Cullen seemed to pick up on her distress.

"But first we focus on garnering enough power to approach the templars-"

"-Or the mages" Leliana reminded him with a soft but firm tone.

"_Or_ the mages." Cullen agreed reluctantly.

"Which means gathering contacts, allies. People who can give us supplies and influence." Josephine added on.

"We might even have to deal with the rebellion if we want either the mages or templars help." Cassandra said softly, more to herself than everyone else. Roselinde's head was spinning with all the great obstacles that now stood in front of her. It felt as if everyone else knew what to do but her. Suddenly Barbaras cleared his throat. Roselinde looked over. He'd finished his bread and seemed to have been intently listening to the conversation.

"Lots to do for a welp that can hardly fight. And they call _you_ this Herald of Andraste?" he said. She felt anger bubbling up inside her. She never _wanted_ this! Plus, she found his facemask stupid. _He must have an ugly mouth_ she thought spitefully.

"Excuse me?" she said coldly. The air filled with tension. Barbaras laughed in a mean-spirited manner.

"I fell out of the sky into the middle of your battle and even _I _could tell you were completely out of your element. It was like watching a toddler attempting to navigate a battlefield. In the short time I saw you, you spent more time on your ass than on your feet fighting. A truly pathetic showing." he said. Roselinde was boiling with rage now.

"W-what do you know?!" she demanded "I didn't ask for this you…you _asshat_!"

She knew she was being a tad dramatic, maybe even childish, but she didn't care. She was sore, her head pounded like no tomorrow and she was _way_ out of her depth; a combination that had created a maelstrom of negative emotions within her. Worst of all, he was right. She knew it. He knew it. Everyone standing in that damn room knew it. He laughed again but this time it was darker,

"Neither did I, girl. But yet, here we are. If the gods willed for me to be here, then so be it. I only speak as I see things and I can see that you are _no_ Herald." he said. He then chuckled, "Well, Herald of bad-insults, perhaps.". It took all her willpower for her not to cry. She could feel her throat tighten. She was so angry she couldn't even speak. She wouldn't give this _dog_ the satisfaction of seeing her tears. Cullen stepped in.

"It _is_ true Roselinde needs combat training but perhaps we can get further by _not _verbally assaulting her." he said with a steely tone. Roselinde felt a rush of gratitude towards the man. _Her Knight in shining armor_! Well, sort-of shining armor. Minus the fur. Whose idea had that been anyway? Leliana raised an eyebrow,

"And coddling her accomplishes…?" she trailed off. Leliana was certainly the spymaster for a reason. Cullen huffed again, narrowing his eyes and looking between the incredulous Leliana and Barbaras who seemed to have a bored expression on his face. At least, from what she could tell. That stupid face-mask was making him _incredibly _difficult to read.

"Then teach me! _Please_! I _want _to learn!" she exclaimed, letting out all the emotion she'd been holding in.

"If I'm supposed to be this Herald, this symbol of hope, then I have to act like it, right!? I didn't _ask_ for this stupid mark but I'm stuck with it and that's not going to change, so _teach. me._" she said with intensity, taking a deep breath. Letting out her emotions finally felt good. Josephine looked at Cullen. Cullen looked at Cassandra. Cassandra looked to Leliana. Leliana turned her gaze to Barbaras. Barbaras raised his eyebrows before an understanding came to his eye.

"Ahh. Understandable. You all have important functions within this Inquisition, it would be a tall order to ask you give the girl individual attention with so many duties to attend. Fine. I'll teach her. Not that I think she'd like it." he said, his green eye sparkling with a mischief. _No No No! __**Absolutely**_ _not_!

"You..can't be serious." she murmured. _This asshole?! Are you kidding me?!_ Cullen looked sympathetic,

"Do you have proficiency with a bow?" Cullen asked Barbaras. Roselinde held her breath. She hoped to the Maker he'd say no. Barbaras pulled a contraption from his back sheath. With a click and a springing sound a strange weapon was revealed. It looked like a crossbow but unlike any she'd ever seen. It looked even stranger than Varric's and Bianca was debatably the most unique weapon in Thedas. It was black and finely crafted, the limbs were oddly shaped and wide, almost like demented wings. The foregrip was also oddly thick and hung down, looking almost like some sort of clip. Not to mention the size, the limbs making it look like a daunting weapon.

"What do _you_ think?" Barbaras asked with an almost teasing tone. Roselinde felt her heart thud as it dropped to the bottom of her chest. _Great_. With another click the crossbow..thing folded into itself, shrinking to the size of a small parcel attached to a handle and stock. He placed it back in the sheath.

"I think before he does _anything_ he needs to be questioned. Why he's here would be a good start." Cassandra said curtly, a distrustful tone to her voice. Barbaras sighed heavily.

"Fine. Do as you must. I only ask you _don't_ put me in chains again. You'll find I won't respond kindly." he warned. Cassandra made a disgusted noise before indicating the door, Barbaras begrudgingly following him. Leliana, after a moment of consideration, curiously went along with them too. _Then there were three._ Rosleinde felt emotionally exhausted. She looked to Cullen and Josephine, raising an eyebrow.

"Is there anything else?" she asked. Josephine looked at Cullen and he shook his head,

"No…no not for now. Go clear your head, Lady Josephine and I will begin planning your trip to the Hinterlands."

Roselinde only nodded tiredly in response. She _really_ needed a nap.

OO

Cullen watched her go with a sympathetic gaze. She certainly had a lot on her shoulders, the poor girl. Their new addition certainly wasn't helping things, either.

"An interesting meeting, no?" Josephine said with a hint of a smile. Cullen snorted.

"Hardly. That man is brusque and mean-spirited, to put it lightly." he said with scorn. Josephine shrugged,

"I don't know. I _didn't_ like how he interrupted me, but I can't predict how I'd conduct myself if I fell from the sky from a different world into a new one. If his story is true, that is."

Cullen grimaced,

"I see your point, but, different world or not, I would hope they taught _some _semblance of manners." Josephine let out a light laugh, which was a beautiful sound and made his ears tingle.

"Well, perhaps Ser Cullen, you can give him a lesson in manners once Lady Cassandra is done with him. Let us begin planning the expedition, hm?" she said with a teasing tone. His face reddened and he began mumbling, sifting through the many pieces of parchment on the table in front of him. He'd _always_ had trouble dealing with beautiful women. _Maker preserve me._

OO

Cassandra didn't know what to make of this Barbaras Dawnstriker. First, he falls from the sky, on the _head _of a Pride Demon. Then he slays the beast, takes out several heavily armed guards _unarmed_ for attempting to take his _bird_, and then proceeds to mouth off at anyone; regardless of rank or stature. Perhaps most mind boggling was that he claimed to be from another world _and _Leliana seemed to believe him! _Perhaps this breach is bringing us all to madness, Maker preserve us_ she thought.

"What reason would he have to lie, Cassandra?" Leliana asked.

"I don't trust people who fall from the sky." Cassandra said coldly. Cassandra had brought them to an unused, relatively dark room in the Chantry. She would've preferred they bring the man back to his cell but Leliana insisted he wasn't a danger to them. Cassandra swore that Leliana's chantry sister side was bleeding out thanks to the Divine's death, something that she'd have to talk to her about later. Not that Cassandra wasn't grieving either. Her emotions had been a whirlwind the past few days. She was anything but thrilled for when she would have to confront them. She looked down at Barbaras. He looked bored, cleaning the nails of his flesh hand with a strange looking throwing knife.

"I told you what you wanted to know. Whether you like what you hear isn't my problem." he said with a detached tone.

"You seem awfully carefree for someone whose come from another world." Cassandra said, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Barbaras stopped cleaning his nails, giving her a hard look.

"I told you didn't I? I was _killed_. Then I was here. There's nothing left for me there."

"Why were you killed?" Cassandra asked cooly.

"I have no reason to answer that." he practically spat.

"Were you a criminal?" she pressed. Barbaras smashed the table with his strange arm, breaking the thing in two.

"_No_! Enough, woman!...Enough with your incessant questions. All that matters is that I'm here and willing to help. Is that not enough?" he demanded. Cassandra raised an eyebrow incredulously,

"How do I know you are here to help if I cannot trust you?" she shot back. Cassandra could've sworn he _growled _at her from under his facemask but then the door open, where one of Leliana's agents now stood.

"My lady." he bowed, his fist to his chest. Cassandra noticed he looked out of breath.

"Lady Minaeve found what you asked for!" he exclaimed breathlessly, handing Leliana an old looking book. He immediately scurried out of the room while Leliana scanned through the pages. She then stopped. A confused expression came over her.

"Cass, do you remember anything about the legend of Thonrath, from the Chantry's education?" she asked hesitantly. Cassandra recalled her younger days, many long days spent in the Chantry studying various religious works and prayers; amongst sneaking in racy romance novels when she was sure she was alone.

"Vaguely…the Grand Clerics almost never mentioned him. Something of a devout warrior blessed by the Maker, correct?" she said. Leliana nodded slowly.

"The legend says when the world is in peril he is reincarnated…to fight evil." she said, as if coming to a revelation. Cassandra looked at her strangely but then her eyes widened. She seized the book, scanning the pages. Leliana was not wrong. His appearance, the timing, and the manner of his arrival was _uncanny_ to say the least.

"But…he doesn't.._he_ doesn't even worship the Maker!" Cassandra protested. _This man, a reincarnated Thonrath?! A devote warrior blessed by the maker?! This man is a wolf! A savage!_

"I may not believe in your god, woman, but the last thing I am is faithless. _No one _is more faithful in my gods than I." he said. His voice made it sound like a warning.

"Cass, you can't deny the providence of his arrival. The timing, his falling from the sky…it all speaks of the work of the Maker." Leliana said. Cassandra pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes tight. She _really _hated when Sister Leliana shined through. She was also right. She _couldn't_ deny the providence of his arrival.

"Regardless of what I _may_ or _may not_ be, the fact doesn't change that I know little of this world. To help, I need to learn." he said. Cassandra made a disgusted noise,

"Leliana, I'm sure you wouldn't mind giving our _savior of the sky_ a few rudimentary history lessons. I'll send for another table. And more light. _You_'_ll_ be paying for the table." Cassandra said, giving Barbaras a cold glare. He only shrugged. She made another disgusted noise and left the room. Today was straining her patience and it wasn't even noon.

OO

Roselinde had found that despite her exhaustion she couldn't sleep. Instead, she'd taken to wandering aimlessly around Haven. She hated the looks the people gave her, it simply reminded her of the monumental task ahead of her. And how unprepared she was for it. She was still having difficulty coming to terms with Barbaras as her teacher. The man had been nothing but rude and spiteful since she'd began talking to him. _I can't imagine training with him will be any less dreadful_. She spotted Varric sitting by a fire and decided to approach him. At the very least, he could probably make her chuckle. He watched her approaching and raised a hand in greeting. She smiled. It was nice to see a friendly face.

"Hey there, Butter Fingers! Damn, you look like _shit_." he greeted. Maybe it wasn't so nice, after all. Roselinde winced.

"You know how to make a girl feel special, Varric." she grumbled as she sat down heavily across from him. He laughed,

"One of my many outstanding qualities, I'm told. I heard you got chewed out by stranger from the sky. Did he tell you that you have butter-fingers, too?" Varric asked, flashing his trademark grin. Roselinde sighed. No matter how Varric insulted you, it always felt like a compliment when he flashed that roguish smile.

"Not quite. Just that I was pathetic and looked like a toddler in the battlefield." she said glumly. Varric let out a low whistle,

"I would've put it a little differently but no mercy, huh?" Roselinde glared at him.

"So you think so too? That I'm not cut out for this?" she said with anger. Varric held up his hands with a smile.

"Hey, easy kid. You may not be the most _experienced_ warrior I've ever met but you'll learn. You have a lot on your shoulders and I think anyone can see that." Varric said, putting a friendly hand on her shoulder.

"On the real, Butterfingers, if you need someone to talk to, I'll always be around." Roselinde gave him a smile.

"Thanks, Varric. You're surprisingly down to Earth, you know that?" she said. Varric laughed,

"Oh that's me, butterfingers. Ever relatable and easy going. That's how I rope in all the fans! Now, want to hear a story?" he said, his eyes glinting with excitement in the firelight. Roselinde nodded eagerly. Just _maybe_ this whole Inquisition wouldn't be that bad.

OO

Barbaras sat in the _Singing Maiden_ drinking heavily from a bottle of ale. The tavern was full of patrons from the town. Barbaras observed Guards who were off duty, sitting in groups and talking in quiet tones; occasionally stealing a glance at him. Villagers sat in small groups of their own, some staring morosely into their mugs while others talked in urgent, quiet tones. If one thing was clear from the mood of the room, it was that Demons were falling from the sky. _At least they have a minstrel_ Barbaras thought, eyeing the young woman in the middle of the room. She had a lovely, soft voice that would've made his heart swell in another time, another place. He could feel the occasional looks of the tavern's fellow patron's stabbing into some. Some seemed to look at him with reverence. Some with caution and suspicion. Most didn't know _what_ to think. The bar keep approached him after tending to another patron, a short smile on her face. He could tell that even she was being affected by the breach.

"More ale, Ser Barbaras?" she asked. He downed the rest of his mug. It was surprisingly good ale. Went down smooth and tasted lightly of peaches.

"If you would, kind woman." he said. She took his mug but stopped, staring at his face. When she'd first given him a drink, he hadn't taken down his face mask. His mouth was horribly scarred, two long jagged cuts ran through the corners of his mouth to almost the full length of both cheeks. His skin was carved into a permanent, demented smile. Barbaras noticed her staring, raising an eyebrow.

"O-oh I'm sorry, Ser I-I truly-" Barbaras waved her off before she could finish.

"Enough. It's fine. Just get me my drink, please." he said. He _hated_ when people had a fit over his face. It was why he had taken to wearing a facemask, so he wouldn't have to deal with their staring or bumbling apologies. _For all the good it'll do_ he thought to himself. The spymaster had shown great constitution, giving him a comprehensive rundown of Thedas and all its intricacies within several hours without pause or sign of discomfort. It was something Barbaras could respect. Still, Barbaras took his own notes and borrowed a few books from the Chantry's small selection; he had always preferred to learn himself, even in his fledging days back in the Church of Attenuation. At least, Leliana's information would be the basis of which he would learn everything else. He wasn't sure to think of the woman. She seemed the only reasonable person there. At least outwardly, she seemed to harbor no suspicion or ill will towards him. Flissa set down his third mug of ale for the night. He was sure he'd feel a buzz after this. The door suddenly slammed open and a group of men entered, some of them with bruises on their faces. Once they saw Barbaras they whispered to each other, one of them, presumably the ring-leader approached him. Barbaras began chugging his mug. He had a good feeling as to what these gentlemen wanted with him.

"Oi, _Black Wolf_! What ye say we settle things from before, aye?" he said with a malicious grin. _Black Wolf?_ Barbaras slammed the mug down, flashing a grin of his own. It made the other man flinch. It was the templars from before, that much he could tell. Everyone in the Tavern stopped talking, watching the interaction with bated breath. Barbaras reached into his coat and threw some silvers onto the counter.

"Let's do this outside, hm? Wouldn't want to disturb our fellow patrons." the other man slowly nodded, trying to keep his cool in front of their audience. Barbaras picked up his hat from the bar, lowering it to Flissa before leaving. It was of an interesting design, all black and tri-cornered shape but the corners on the two sides were flattened up against the sides and the top was covered in a strange, wispy black material that those who saw it could've sworn seen it move. There were also three black feathers sticking from the top, feathers Pilate had graciously allowed him to pluck and place on the hat. The night air was cold but with the drink now in him, it felt just right. Five men, unarmed. This would be over in less than a minute. Barbaras pulled up his facemask, eyeing the ring leader.

"Ye shamed us at the Temple, stranger. It ain't happenin' again. We're gonna show ye why we're templars." he said menacingly, cracking his knuckles. Barbaras snorted,

"I'd give you the chance to walk away but I somehow feel you lot are too stupid to take the offer."

That was enough to goad them into the action. The first one stepped forward, going for a haymaker. Barbaras blocked with his metatide arm. He heard the _crunch_. He countered with a hard, fast punch to the gut. The man fell on his knees. He knew one was coming from behind. He whipped around, a flying kick to the face sent the would-be attacker sprawling. Two of them came to his sides, attempting to lock his arms in place. They got his right arm. The other received a backhand from his metatide arm. A resounding _crack_. He swept the legs from underneath the man on his right before delivering another kick to his face. The ring-leader yelled rushing forward for a tackle. Barbaras balled his hands together before bringing them down on the man's back. He heard the air leave the man's lungs. Barbaras bent down, lifting the man's face up by the hair. The others lay on the ground, groaning or knocked out cold.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay _out_ of my way." Barbaras snarled. The man nodded, his nose now bleeding from the impact of hitting the ground. Barbaras slammed his face back into the ground, standing up and dusting himself off. Pilate came flying down, landing on the ring-leader's head. Pilate looked up at Barbaras, squawking once before pecking at the man's head a few times. The bird then flew up to Barbaras's shoulder, nuzzling Barbaras's raised finger. He heard footsteps approaching, the crunch of dirt and snow. He looked up to see a surprised Varric and slightly horrified Roselinde. Barbaras grinned wolfishly from underneath his mask. _This was the perfect opportunity_.

"Hello, Girl. It's time for your first lesson."

OO

Roselinde's heart beat fast with anger and trepidation as Barbaras led her further and further away from Haven. The moon was full but that didn't stop her from shuddering in apprehension. Her mind was racing. _Just what the hell was he thinking, this late at night?! _They stopped in a clearing, where Barbaras finally let go of her wrist and seemed to be inspecting the trees around them. With one motion he cut down a solid looking branch, throwing his long dagger at her feet. He seemed to be inspecting the branch, nodding in satisfaction.

"Pick up the dagger, girl." he instructed.

"What?" she asked numbly. _Were they seriously doing this right now?!_

"Deaf and dumb, are we? I said, _pick up _the dagger." he said with a little more venom. The insult made her face flush red and her hands begin to shake in anger. She scooped it up. It was well made, from what she could tell. The blade seemed strong and well maintenance. The grip was also comfortable and easy to hold onto, though she noticed the strange insignia on the back of his coat was also on the dagger. It was the black raven, with a red skull and two-white swords behind them.

"What's this symbol mean?" she asked.

"Irrelevant. Now attack me." Barbaras commanded. She stared at the man dumbfounded. He simply stood there, holding his stick and staring at her expectantly.

"Why-" before she could finish, he rushed forward, striking her painfully on the shoulder. She knew that was going to bruise tomorrow.

"Ow! What the fuck?!" she yelled in anger.

"_Enough_ with the questions, girl. You do as _I_ say. Now _attack. me_." he said. She yelled in anger, attempting to slash him in the front. She didn't even see him side-step before the stick came down painfully on her wrist, making her drop the dagger. She went to her knees from the pain. She was _already_ in enough pain from the temple. Why was he doing this?!

"Your enemy won't sit still and let you stab them, girl. Anticipate their movement. _Again_." he said. She picked up the dagger again and slowly got up. She glared at Barbaras. She was _sure_ he was smirking underneath that damned facemask. _I'll show you!_ She lunged forward once again, this time faking an attack to his front and anticipating an attack from the flank. Somehow, she ended up on her back, staring up at the beautiful night sky. He'd swept her legs out from under her.

"Hm. Not bad I suppose. Though it's abundantly clear you've never had to fight a day in your life." he said coldly. She shot up to a sitting position.

"So _what_?!" she demanded. "I'm just a _normal_ girl from a small noble house! I've never had to do _anything_ like this before! Why don't you understand that?! And I use a bow anyway so why the _hell_ are we here playing at sword fighting?!" At this point, Roselinde was willing to grovel in front of Cassandra or Varric and beg them to train her. Anyone other than this _insufferable_ asshole. Barbaras seized her by her coat with his metatide hand, bringing her face _very_ close to his. His tone was sharp as steel and cold as ice. She felt all her indignation leave her instantly. Fear began to creep into her bones. She'd heard some of the villagers call him "Black Wolf" after his beating of the Templars. She now understood why. He was equal parts ferocious and deadly and perhaps most of all, he instilled fear. Just as encountering a pack of wolves, alone, in the middle of the night elicited terror she could feel her eyes watering as she felt that exact horror.

"First of all, you make the incredibly stupid assumption an enemy won't try to close the distance. As a ranged attacker, you'll be a threat the enemy will target _first_." he said. That realization made her pause. "_So_, you'll need to learn close-combat skills, should an enemy decide to close the distance."

"It's _because _you've never done anything that I will push you into the fucking ground. _You_ are the Herald of Andraste now. People have laid their hope in _you_. There are demons falling out of the sky and _you_ are the only one who can close the rifts in which they fall out of. I don't _care_ what you did or didn't do before this. All that matters right now is that you learn to fight and _that_ is what I will teach you to do." he said, shoving her back onto the ground and wresting his dagger from her hands. She was staring up at the sky once again. She tilted her head slightly, to see him standing at her feet, staring at the sky.

"Whatever this is I've stumbled into, it's far bigger than you or I, girl. The gods work in mysterious ways. I _will_ make you ready. I _will_ teach you how to fight. _I_ will be the best fucking teacher you've ever had." he said, giving her one last glare before walking back in the direction of Haven. She settled her head back onto the snow, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding in.

"I'll be waking you at dawn, girl. We start with strength training exercises bright and early." he called from a distance.

"Fuck you!" she shouted defiantly. She could hear him faintly chuckle. Then there was silence. Birds of the night called to their lovers. Wind rustled the surrounding trees as the branches swayed in the wind. The stars shone brighter than Val Royeaux at sunset, twinkling down as if to encourage her. Or taunt her. She clenched her fist tightly. She _would_ prove this bastard wrong. She would show him that she wasn't some toddler playing at Soldier, that she could fight and be worthy of the hopes people had placed in her. Just like Tyr had. _I'll show him, I'll show all of them_ she thought with absolute certainty. She had to. This was _her_ story. She remembered a passage then, one from the ancient days of the last inquisition. Tyr had always loved history. He still remembered his words as he'd read it to her by the fireside, her eyes just barely staying open; fighting to stay awake.

_Let those who would destroy us, step into the light_

_As the world tears itself asunder, we will fight_

_Demons, Dragons, Darkspawn or Beast of the night_

_We shall fight, we shall fight_

_Lead them or Fall_

_Lead them or Fall_

She would not fall. She would lead them all.


	6. Chapter Three:Hinterlands Hijinks Part 1

**Chapter Three: Hinterlands Hijinks Part 1**

Leliana sat on her knees, praying to the maker as she always did. This time was different however. She felt a fierce anger that she'd never felt before, praying to her god. She'd never felt like this towards the Maker before. She'd had her doubts, particularly when she traveled with the Hero of Ferelden and dealt with Marigold. Some of the things she'd seen, some of the things the Hero of Ferelden had to do, it made her wonder how the Maker could allow such atrocities to plague his children. He'd gone too far this time. Divine Justinia V. _Her_ Divine Justinia V. She had only ever served the Maker in all she did and yet…that hadn't been enough.

"Is that what you want from us? Blood? To die so that your will is done?"

She heard footsteps stop in front of her tent.

"A question to your Maker?" a rough voice asked her. Barbaras. Her mind went back to the "lessons" she'd given him yesterday. He was incredibly intent on learning what she had to offer, even taking the initiative to take his own notes and borrow books. It had given her a new respect for the man. Surprisingly, despite the religious undertones of his arrival, she still found herself angry with the Maker.

"What do you think? Our Divine, just a pawn for the Maker to use then discard?" she said, unable to keep the heat out of her voice. Barbaras considered it.

"If our gods are as mighty as we make them out to be, then yes, we are nothing but pawns. Our mortal quandaries can hope to have little impact on them."

"She did not deserve to _die_." Leliana said bitterly.

"Perhaps not. I could never profess to know why my gods do as they do. I screamed at the sky until my throat bled when they took my family from me." Leliana felt her anger take pause. She met his eyes.

"I…I'm sorry. It seems we've both lost much to our God's gracelessness." she said heavily.

"From my book of Prayers, there reads a particular passage that I found still comforts me now. Would you like to hear it?" he asked. Leliana nodded, her curiosity piqued

"If you'd be willing to share."

Barbaras cleared his throat.

"We are but mortal creatures, in the hands of our gods, dissolvable and tasteless. We ask that you look upon our efforts with the grace that befits you, to reward us in our most humble state when our time comes. We offer our bodies, our souls. We offer the breath we breath, the food we eat and the coin we spend. Despite it all, only one of our actions may intrigue your holy minds. For this, we will give it all. With all darkness, there is light. With all life, there is death. With pain, there is suffering. With destruction, there is creation. With decay, there is renewal. When we take our last breath, we do so with endless praise on our tongue. Let this be the beginning, not the end. Praise be in the Light of Grimmon and the Mercy of Balka. _Fultunum_." Leliana considered the words for a moment. It was a pleasing message.  
"Fultunum. What does that mean?" she asked curiously.

"In Bayekian tongue, it translates roughly to 'Oh our Makers in the sky, who break us down and make us whole, give us the strength to move forward." he answered. He cleared his throat again.

"Events like this can make anyone want to cast their faith aside. Demons falling from the sky, most political leadership blown to bits and a Templar and Mage rebellion. It's a heralding for the End Times, if I've ever seen one." he said. Leliana could feel the darkness inside her brewing. _So much death and destruction and the Maker does not even glance upon his children_.

"But that's why we must keep it. Keep the faith. I know your faith is strong, Sister Leliana. If it wasn't, you wouldn't be demanding answers for the death of such a holy woman. You can take it as you will, but I have faith that your Maker has a hand in these events. You have your Herald. Your Inquisition. It's only the beginning, but there is something about this that makes me feel aligned with my Gods." he said. She smiled, the darkness slowly beginning to unravel itself. It's true. They did have the Herald. That had those who were willing to stand in the face of Chaos, and they had…

"And you. We have you, _savior of sky_." Leliana said with an almost teasing tone and disarming smile. She'd saw his facemask twitch. Perhaps he smiled?

"That you do." he said simply, giving her a nod and tip of his hat before walking away.

Yes. Perhaps, in the face of darkness, in the face of death and destruction, it was best to keep faith. It felt like what Justinia would've wanted. She watched Barbaras walk away, his coat swinging with the breeze. _Providence indeed, Providence indeed_.

OO

It was immediately evident to Cassandra that the Hinterlands were going to be a much bigger task than originally imagined. They'd arrived after a few days of travel, all of which were spent with Barbaras's merciless instruction of Roselinde. Cassandra felt he could approach the matter differently but at the core he was right; Roselinde needed to learn how to fight and fast. He would socialize with them very little, if at all when they would stop for camp. If he was asked a question, he would typically grunt or answer with a single word. Even Varric found himself unable to crack the other man's rough exterior. She had to admit however, his cooking was incredibly good. She found herself secretly looking forward to when it was his turn to take over the pot. They were introduced to Scout Harding who informed them of the rather dire situation going on in the Hinterlands. The fighting between the splinter groups of Templars and Mages was worse than Leliana's scouts had originally reported, spreading even to where Mother Giselle was supposed to be situated. She could almost see Roselinde cringe when Harding greeted her as the Herald of Andraste. She felt nothing if not sorry for the poor girl. She then felt disgusted at their dwarf companion when he attempted to make a joke involving "Harding". Harding also informed them of a renowned horse trainer, Dennet who could prove useful _if_ he was still alive.

"I say we go to Mother Giselle first. The crossroads aren't far from here and we can't risk losing such an important contact." Cassandra proposed. Roselinde wore a tan battle-coat, her red hair tied-up tight in a bun. She also wore two daggers at her hips, along with a bow and quiver hanging from her back. At the very least, she _looked_ the part of Herald Andraste. Her features certainly reflected a regal, noble lineage. Full lips. Healthy, red cheeks flecked with freckles.

"I agree, Cassandra." Roselinde said simply. Even in the few days on the road, the scared girl she'd met was being replaced by a more hardened woman. Of course, Cassandra had a feeling it was a mask more than anything. Barbaras's relentless training and attitude seemed to be taking its toll on the girl.

"Great. Bianca's just been looking for something to peg. Whispering to me at night, you know how lovers can be." Varric joked.

"At least you have a lover that's more your size." Solas said suddenly, a ghost of a smile on his face. Barbaras laughed out loud at the joke, his laugh sounded almost like a grindstone. A boisterous grindstone.

"Oh full of jokes, are we Chuckles? Must've taken you the whole trip here to come up with it, considering how quiet you've been." Varric fired back. Solas only smiled. A response wasn't necessary. They could tell they were getting closer to the crossroads when they began spotting corpses of Templars, Mages and Local Militia on either sides of the road. Despite her best efforts, Roselinde looked like she would nearly be sick. Their faces were twisted in agony, blood spread out in pools along the path. It was most likely the first time Roselinde had to observe death in such intimate detail. Then they found a templar whose armor had been completely punched through with a particularly powerful lightning spell, most of his intestines spilled out around the exit and entry wounds. That was enough to make Roselinde lose her stomach.

"Better now than later, girl. Steel yourselves, Pilate's spotted Templars and Mages fighting at the crossroads." Barbaras warned, drawing his sword and long dagger. Cassandra felt her blood pressure rise as she drew her sword and readied her shield. She hoped to the maker Mother Giselle still lived. When they finally arrived at the crossroads it was utter chaos. The Templars and Mages fought each other mercilessly, arrows and spells flew in all manner of ways as swords and shields clashed. The poor Militia seemed to be caught in the middle, defending themselves as best as they could. Barbaras, who'd been just ahead of her just a moment before suddenly disappeared in a mass of black mist. He reappeared behind an unaware spell-binder, about to cast a spell. The man fell, his throat bleeding heavily. Cassandra shot forward with a battle cry, shield bashing a Templar archer who was too focused on the mages. He paid for it with a sword to the gut. She moved onto the next target. A sell-sword by appearance alone. He attempted an ove-head slash. His blade met her shield. His life met an end with a blade across his throat. She felt blood spatter onto her helmet. The duty of the Maker was sometimes a grim one. She saw a mage beginning his spell. She willed her power forth, dispelling the magic before he could finish. He was then sent to the ground with an arrow to his shoulder. _Roselinde's_. Her sword found his throat and twisted. She heard a shout and whipped around only to receive a strike that left her off balance. Before the attacker could take advantage ice instantly incapsulated him. Cassandra rushed forward with her shield, dashing him into nothing more than ice chunks. Cassandra set her eyes on another mage who seemed to be targeting an unaware Roselinde. Cassandra rushed forward with a cry of fury, putting all her weight into a sword swing that met the woman's neck with a sickening _squelch_. The head went flying into the chaos somewhere.

"It's the Inquisition!" a local militiaman shouted, getting a look at Cassandra's breastplate. Those who remained roared a rallying cry. The mages and templars numbers were quickly diminishing and some began trying to escape. Barbaras didn't let them. Cassandra watched as Barbaras swept through their ranks like death incarnate. A sword to the belly of one sell-sword. A mage fires off a spell, only to fire at nothing but air, falling to a dagger in the heart. A templar swings. Barbaras dodges. The templars hand falls to the ground, severed. Frostbite punches through the armor, turning the man to ice. A guardsman rushes with his shield. Barbaras winds back, delivering a hard punch with his Metatide armor. The shield crumples. Templar looks up. Two throwing knives slide through his eye slits. He dies instantly. Cassandra shield bashed yet another archer, surprised when an arrow pierced his jaw. She looked to Roselinde. Her face was of grim concentration, shining with sweat. Movement caught Cassandra's eye. A sell sword had managed to sneak up behind her. She shouted a warning. Roselinde broke concentration, whipping around. She went for her dagger. _Too slow_. The sword came down on her shoulder, burying itself in her shoulder guard. Roselinde screamed with rage, tackling the bastard and shoving her dagger into his throat. Cassandra heard the cry of a militiaman. A massive Templar had come as reinforcements, crushing mages and militia left and right with a heavy maul. Cassandra ran towards the goliath of a man, taking a heavy step forward and whipping her shield from her arm. The shield flew, smashing directly into the behemoth's helmet. Three _thunks_ through his chest plate. Two of Varrics, one of Roselinde's. Cassandra continued running forward, rolling out of the way of a wild maul strike. She recovered quickly, stabbing at his lower abdomen with all her might. She felt the blade pierce the armor but knew it wasn't enough to bring him down. The maul was coming for her head. She dived to the left, only to just catch the strike oh her shoulder guard. _Crack_. She went sprawling. She knew her shoulder was broken, but to what degree it wasn't clear. She heard a deafening _boom_. _Barbaras_. She heard the sundering of armor. She heard Barbaras's shouted words. A flash of wispy, white light. The ground near her shook as the berserker finally fell. The battle was over.

OO

Varric wiped the sweat from his forehead. The intel hadn't been kidding around, these fanatical bastards really weren't messing around. Their beliefs were so strong and twisted they didn't care who got in the middle of it. _Leaving the poor farmers to suffer in their wake_. In Kirkwall, when he was younger, he may not have felt so empathetic towards the every day citizen. Hawke had shown an incredible ability to worm her way into the hearts of all those she touched. He noticed that Roselinde stood very still, staring down at the man she'd killed with her dagger. Varric approached her slowly.

"First time, huh?" he said in a sympathetic tone. She nodded numbly. Her hair was frazzled from the melee, looking as if at least one lightning spell had managed to sling within proximity. Her face was covered in blood, dirt and grime but her eyes seemed almost lifeless, staring down at the body. He wasn't quite sure what to say. He wasn't exactly a pillar of moral guidance, almost cackling every time he got a headshot. Cassandra would probably tell her it was the will of the Maker. He glanced at her, noting in surprise that Barbaras was knelt in front of Cassandra healing her shoulder. Warm, healing light came out of Barbaras's flesh hand as Cassandra looked away in displeasure. It was clear to anyone in their little party that she still held distrust towards him. He heard footsteps approaching. Chuckles. He would just talk about Fade mumbo jumbo, maybe say how nobody _truly_ dies in the Fade.

"Come sit on this rock, Roselinde, so I may heal you." Solas said lightly. She nodded silently, plopping down on the rock, still glancing at the body too often. Varric situated himself so that he stood between Roselinde and the body, obscuring her view.

"Keep staring at him and you'll make all the other boys jealous." Varric joked when he finally met her eye. She hardly smiled. _Shit_. Maybe a story later tonight would dredge her thoughts up from the depths. Barbaras and Cassandra approached, Cassandra slowly rotating her shoulder, seeming surprised at the man's work. Barbaras looked at Roselinde, then the body laying a short distance away.

"First kill? A little sloppy, from the looks. Remember what I said, you need to be aware of your surroundings at all times." he said callously. She only nodded, surprising Varric. She'd been giving Barbaras lip all the way to the Hinterlands.

"Um…maybe now isn't the best time for friendly advice? She seems a little out of sorts." Varric suggested. He had to admit, he was growing a soft spot for the girl. The wonder in her eyes when he told her stories, her fascination with the more exaggerated parts, it was all incredibly endearing. He didn't want her to lose that spark. Barbaras snorted.

"Then when? When she gets stabbed in the back? _She_ needs to get used to it. There will only be more from here on. Steel your heart, girl. Their only goal is to kill you. Your only goal should be the same. _Focus_." he said, turning on his heel and walking away before Varric could offer a retort. He saw Roselinde's fist clench in anger, a hard line on her forehead. Cassandra cleared her throat,

"Clean yourself up and take a few minutes to recover. Once you're ready, come find the Infirmary. Mother Giselle is waiting to talk to you." she said, taking her leave towards the infirmary. Solas finished his healing, giving her a nod and a smile before also leaving. Varric took a seat down next to her, putting a comforting hand on her uninjured shoulder.

"Don't listen to that hard-ass. I remember I puked my guts out when I killed my first." Varric said. She chuckled darkly,  
"I would've, if I hadn't already lost my stomach on the road." she said. Varric grimaced.

"Well, you did the right thing. You defended yourself against an attacker. An attacker whose probably been killing farmers left and right and raising hell here in the Hinterlands. You did a _good_ thing." he reassured her. She didn't meet his eyes.

"It doesn't feel like I did." she said with a dull tone, getting up with a heavy sigh.

"Enough of that. Let's go meet this mother."

OO

Roselinde felt like she was on autopilot as she walked with Mother Giselle. All she could picture was the man's face as his life left him. How his blood covered her hands and sprayed into her face. She thought of the mage she shot in the shoulder. Another through the jaw. She felt disgusted, horrified with herself. She could handle killing demons. _But people?_ It was different. It made her feel dirty. _Unclean_.

"…so many, senselessly taken from us." Mother Giselle had stopped talking. Roselinde brought herself out of her stupor.

"Uh..I'm sorry Mother, truly. I just blanked for a second." Roselinde apologized. The mother nodded kindly.

"Your Roselinde Trevelyan, aren't you? I know your mother and your brother. Both fine supports of the chantry and believers in the Maker." she said with a kindly smile. Roselinde had always been a little off put by those of the Chantry. It always felt like they were trying to channel the very essence of Andraste through them, their kind, warm words feeling more like a sales pitch than sincere.

"I am, yes. Thank you." Roselinde paused a moment before speaking again. "All of this death, chaos and destruction. I think calling it senseless is putting it kindly."

"That's what I want you to convince the other clerics of. That you believe in what you say, which shouldn't be hard to do. You appear sincere enough to me." Mother Giselle said.

"Are there those that would listen?" Roselinde asked.

"Most are terrified of what has happened, what may be to come. I believe that are not completely beyond reason. _Show them_ that you are not to be feared. Take actions that will inspire hope, that will give those in the Chantry pause."

Roselinde nodded. She felt suffocated by this role of Herald.

"You could build the Inquisition into a force that will deliver us…or destroy us." she said ominously. Roselinde felt the pressure building in her chest.

"I will go to Sister Leliana, give her a list of those in the chantry that will be amendable to gathering. It isn't much, but I shall do what I can. May the Makers blessings be upon you, Herald of Andraste." Mother Giselle said, giving a slight bow before beginning to walk down the inclined they had found themselves.  
"Thank you, Mother Giselle." Roselinde said after her. She could already feel a headache on the horizon. _Great, everything's on me. No pressure, Roselinde. No pressure_. So much to do and so little time. For the first time in a while, she sent a prayer to the Maker. One asking for the strength to fill her role as Herald. _And to show that smug bastard just what I'm capable of_. She steeled her heart, just as Barbaras told her to. She _would_ come out on top of this.

OO

After her talk with Mother Giselle Roselinde and the rest of the group assisted local Militia and reinforcements from the Inquisition in making the crossroads a more welcoming and defensible place for incoming refugees. Cassandra had just finished moving a rather heavy box of supplies when she caught a glance at Barbaras with Mother Giselle healing refugees with his magic. She was surprised when he'd used it on her. Not only had it healed her completely, it made her body feel reinvigorated to a degree. Cassandra was happy to know that Mother Giselle was willing to lend a hand for the Inquisition, but felt a trickle of worry knowing it depended largely on Roselinde's actions as the "Herald of Andraste" to seal the deal.

"Cassandra!" she heard a voice call. Roselinde. Roselinde ran up to her, seeming to be in better condition than after their skirmish.

"Yes, Roselinde? Is something wrong?" Cassandra asked. Roselinde shook her head,

"No. I just spoke with Corporal Vale, he gave us a whole laundry list of things the militia need help with. I figured we could look over it together, see where we can send the Inquisition forces, or where we ourselves can help." she said. Cassandra could detect a tinge of excitement in her voice and determination in her bright green eyes. Taking the initiative, using her resources, things an experienced leader understood how to do well. _Perhaps she does show promise after all_.

"Of course. Let's see what we have, shall we?" she said.

Roselinde certainly hadn't been lying. The refugees needed food and shelter amongst other supplies, rifts were popping up all over, bandits and mercenaries were taking advantage of the fleeing refugees and there were major encampments belonging to each faction that needed taking care of. Not to mention the whispers of a cult hiding in the hills. Roselinde suggested they leave the gathering of food and supplies to the Inquistion forces. Cassandra agreed,

"I think sending out the more experienced fighters to take care of the Bandits on the roads will also work in our favor." Cassandra said, Roselinde nodded slowly.

"What about the encampments? Should we send them there too?" Roselinde asked. Cassandra shook her head,

"No. I imagine the forces there will be on the larger side. It would be best we go to those ourselves with a small force for backup."

"What about the Horsemaster? Should we make him the first priority? Cassandra nodded.

"I think that would be best." she agreed. Roselinde let out a deep breath.

"We're going to be here for a while, huh?" Roselinde said.

"Yes. All this chaos will be difficult to reverse but Maker willing, we will prevail." Cassandra said.

"I'm okay with that. Knowing that I'm helping people, making a difference. It feels good." Roselinde said happily. Cassanra laughed,

"As someone that was going to go into the services of the chantry, I'd hope so." she said. Roselinde looked down, cheeks reddened with embarrassed and began mumbling. _She is a sweet girl_ Cassandra thought. Cassandra put a comforting hand on the younger woman's back,

"It is good you feel that way, Roselinde. It tells us you're on the right path. I know you didn't choose to take up this role but you're doing your best and I have faith in that. Besides, you can improve from here." she said kindly. With a reassuring pat, Cassandra headed off towards Mother Giselle to see what more she could do. She felt Roselinde's eyes burning into her back. Cassandra smiled to herself. _I see your influence in her, Oh Maker_ she thought.

OO

After they'd done what they could for the refugees and given orders to Inquisition forces, the small party made camp just outside the crossroads, not wanting to take up any space the refugees might need. Varric slurped down Solas's rabbit stew happily, his stomach warming as it slid smoothly down his throat.

"Would it kill you to use a spoon, Varric?" Cassandra asked with disgust.

"Oh, I didn't tell you Seeker? I'll drop dead if I ever use a spoon!" Varric said with a grin, flashing her a grin and taking a drag of Ale. Roselinde laughed while Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Hey Solas, thanks for helping me cook tonight. Maker knows I'm not up to doing the task myself, yet." Roselinde said. Solas smiled kindly,

"Of course, Roselinde. I learned many skills as a traveling apostate. Cooking was one of them." he replied.

"Where's Scarface? Doesn't want to taste the fruits of his own labor, does he?" Varric said. Varric had heard of the horrible scars on Barbaras's face from whisperings at a tavern, giving him the nickname, he'd use for the stranger for all of time; whether or not he approved. Varric was also happy to see that Roselinde's mood had improved considerably since arriving at the crossroads. _Perhaps I won't have to tell a story tonight_ he thought. There were approaching footsteps before Barbaras appeared in the view of the fire, taking off his sword belt before taking a place around the fire. Varric noticed that his coat, gauntlets and boots had quite a bit of blood on them.

"Were the rabbits you killed for dinner not enough, Scarface? Decided to wipe the whole forest of them, did you?" Varric asked, offering the intimidating Hunter Reaper the bottle of Ale. Barbaras took the bottle without a word, taking a long swig.

"Thank you." he said simply.

"You were gone for a few hours, you know. Not that I'm not grateful, having a reprieve from training was refreshing!" Roselinde said happily, letting herself fall onto her back on the grass. Varric smiled. _She still hasn't lost it. Atta girl_.

"What were you doing?" Cassandra asked suspiciously. Barbaras gave her a look as he poured himself a bowl of the stew.

"Hunting." he said with a final tone.

"I don't see any game." Cassandra pushed. Barbaras sighed heavily,

"Leave it, woman." he said with annoyance. Varric saw the look on Cassandra's face. This could get ugly.

"Hey, I have a friend who's _also_ a big fan of long, enthusiastic walks through the woods. Want to hear the story?" Varric said. Cassandra made a disgusted noise. Barbaras waved him off. Conflict avoided. _Too easy_.

"Balshalla grutya, illunum halshala, Fultunum" Barbaras said, pouring the stew into the fire. Cassandra looked about to protest before it made a sizzling sound then turned the fire a greenish color just for a moment before turning back to normal.

"What…did you just do?" Cassandra asked half in shock. Varric couldn't blame her.

"Hey you're not summoning demons, right? I'm mostly through this bottle, I think I'll hit the Seeker with Bianca before I hit a demon." Varric joked, hoping his joke wouldn't become a reality.

"Hey, what happened!" Roselinde said, sitting up from her place on the grace.

"I made an offering to my Gods. Beyond daily prayer and following their teachings, giving them offerings is an important part of devotional practice." Barbaras explained.

"That fire…do your Gods _speak_ to you?" Cassandra asked with a hint of wonder in her voice.

"Not directly. But they show us signs they're there. That they're listening." he said. Pilate suddenly came down from the sky, landing on Solas's shoulder. Solas smiled kindly at the bird,

"This is Pilate, correct?" Solas asked.

"Yes. He understands what you're saying. He's incredibly smart. Smarter than me, I imagine." Barbaras said fondly. The bird looked over at his master and squawked as if in agreement.

"Does he like berries? Nuts?" Solas asked. Barbaras nodded,

"He likes anything that'll fit down his gullet. He's a pig. Feed him whatever you want, he'll eat it." Barbaras replied. The bird squawked at him again as if to protest.

Barbaras pulled down his facemask and began eating and Varric realized that the gossip he'd heard didn't do what he saw justice. It looked like someone took a rusty dagger and tried to draw on his face while simultaneously having a seizure. At least, that's how he'd describe it. Roselinde visibly recoiled. Even the Seeker looked uncomfortable. Solas didn't pay any mind, too busy feeding his new friend.

"What…happened to your face?" Roselinde asked, dumbfounded. Varric almost face-palmed. _Tactfully put, kid_. He couldn't blame her. His mouth and cheeks, combined with his scarred eye, gave any viewer a horrific sight. Barbaras raised his eyebrows nonchalantly,

"What does it look like?" he asked.

"Like a drunken dwarf mistook your face for an anvil and a dagger for a hammer?" Roselinde said. Varric felt the urge rise up instantly. He couldn't help it. He belted out a loud laugh.

"Ha! Ha! _Damn_, Butterfingers _that_ was a good one!" Varric howled, holding his chest. It was clear to Varric that Roselinde was trying hard not to laugh. Even Chuckles couldn't hide a smile. Cassandra simply watched on, seeming to wonder if the man would laugh or throw a dagger at Roselinde's throat. At first Barbaras had no reaction, staring at her with his dead eye(s). Then he snorted and chuckled,

"Damn, girl. That _was_ a good one." Roselinde took that as permission to burst out laughing with Varric, who at this point was wiping tears out of his eyes.

"S-screw shooting the demons, Butterfingers. K-keep making jokes like that and t-they'll kill themselves!" Varric wheezed out, making the Herald begin to snort, which only started a whole new round of laughter. Varric was surprised to hear even the Seeker join in on the laughter. Roselinde got up on wobbly legs, gasping for breathe and letting out the occasional giggle.

"I…I gotta g-go..ha! p-pee.: she wheezed out, slowly walking towards some nearby shrubs giggling and laughing. Varric wiped a final tear from his eye. His stomach was sore from laughter. It had been a while since he'd laughed like that. They all needed it, especially in dark times such as these. In Varric's eyes, it was a good start to their trip in the Hinterlands.

OO

Roselinde was first on watch but she couldn't have cared less. The night had been a blast, from learning to basics of cooking from Solas to making Varric nearly soil his small clothes. Of course, Roselinde was actually curious as to how Barbaras got his horrible scars but the joke and ensuing laughter were more than a good substitute for the truth. The Hinterlands seemed peaceful at night, all things considered. She couldn't see the stars thanks to the light pollution from the Crossroads, but the breeze tickled her skin and whispered lonely tones into her ear. She felt a dull ache in the pit of her chest and knew full well what it was. Every time she closed her eyes, she still saw the man's face. Not to mention, all the others who had met the business end of her bow. _I'm no killer_. She thought back to the battle. Where Barbaras swept through enemies like a wave of death. She envied his ability but was scared of how he could kill a man without flinching. How any of them could. I mean, Varric was _laughing_ for Maker's sake! She closed her eyes and let her head fall against the tree she was sitting under. The bark felt rough but comforting. If she wished hard enough, maybe she'd be back in the forest behind Trevelyan manor, hiding for Tyr and Tilly in a game of hide and seek. _No more of those thoughts, Herald_ she said. Barbaras was next for guard duty and she could feel her eyes getting heavy. It was time to wake the slumbering beast. She got up, picking up her bow that was leaning against the tree. She was _so_ looking forward to wrapping herself up in her sleeping roll. Then she heard grunting from his tent. Then small shouts. She went closer…

OO

….._Oh thou has done it_…..

….._A great service, my Valshala_…..

….._Why don't you look at me, my servant?_...

….._See? Is that not better? Now_….

….._Here is my gift, my dear Valshala_…..

Another gift.

A searing pain.

Hold it in. Hold it in.

Bear it.

Eyes of a demon.

Skin of the dead.

Lips of the damned.

_Bear _it.

The touch like toxic spikes.

The presence of an old god.

_**Bear it**_.

A thousand souls screaming.

Flesh cutting.

Bones snapping.

Endless, endless pain.

Barbaras awoke with a gasping breath, sitting straight up in his tent. He looked around wildly, noticing that a blue light, now growing dull, enveloped his flesh arm. Wispy and smoke-like, he could still feel the burn. _Fuck_. He looked up. Roselinde stared back at him, concern filling her visage.

"I-you were crying out, there was blue light. Are you alright?" she asked.

"Fine. Nothing you need to be concerned about. It's my turn for watch, yes? Go to sleep girl, you'll need it." he said gruffly, immediately shrugging on his armor and equipping his weapons.

"Sure..whatever you say, teach." Roselinde said skeptically, giving him backwards glances all the way back to her tent. Pilate slowly stirred, squawking in a low tone before hopping on Barbaras's shoulder. Barbaras grabbed a book from his rucksack, _The Collective Thedas Bestiary: All Creeps and Critters._ Leliana had given it to him after her lessons. He found he liked it quite a bit. Besides, he'd be sitting for the next few hours and his sight was just as good in the dark. He settled by a tree that towered over their tents. He could see the crossroads in the distance down their incline, glad that the refugees now had a secure place to stay. As he tried to read the book, he found he couldn't concentrate on the words. His mind kept shifting back to his dreams. The _gift_. He growled in frustration, throwing the book down beside him. Then he decided. He stood, whispering a few almost silent words. Orange light began to emerge from his flesh hand, slowly spreading up and away until there was an orange orb surrounding the camp. Once it was made complete, it glowed bright before disappearing. He nodded in satisfaction, beginning his walk down the incline. There was only one thing that would give his mind peace. Hunting.


	7. Chapter Four: Hinterlands Hijinks Part 2

**Chapter Four: Hinterlands Hijinks Part 2**

Leliana had spent much of her morning reading through many reports from her scouts when she finally caught a break. Using what little free time she had, she decided that drinking some of Josephine's tea and reading through _The History of the Chantry_ once more would give her comfort. She'd reflected on Barbaras's words before he left, glad to find another, other than Cassandra that was so stalwart in his faith.

"Good, morning, Leli. I see you've been busy." a voice said, Leliana looking up and smiling when she realized it was Josephine.

"Good morning, Josie. Yes. Reports have been filing in from my agents and I found myself restless, so I decided to start early. How've you been sleeping? I know the lodgings aren't what you're _used_ to…." Leliana teased, holding back a giggle at her friend's blushing face.

"The lodgings are just _fine,_ Leli." she sniffed, "Besides, there are far more important things to worry about beyond a scratchy bed and uncomfortable pillows. _But_ I will say I have an incredibly stuffy room. You know, now that I think about it, I'm sure the corner of my room is leaking! It's preposterous, I-" Josephine stopped when she realized what she was doing, Leliana looking at her with a knowing grin.

"_Anyways_, I have a report here. From Cassandra. I thought you _might_ want to see it." Josephine said, it was her turn to smile when Leliana grabbed the small pile of parchment from her friend almost faster than the eye could see.

"I'll leave you to it then, Leli. Perhaps we could eat together midday?….I could invite Cullen too…." It was useless. Leliana was nothing if not focused when it came to her role as spymaster. Josephine walked back towards the Chantry, knowing that Cullen was probably going to have to drag both of them away from their work so they remembered to eat.

_Leliana,_

_Things are going well here in the Hinterlands so far. We recovered Mother Giselle and she is on her way back to Haven as we speak. She is ready to work with you in order to get a list of Chantry members that __**may**__ appeal to reason started. There is much to do here, as I'm sure your scouts have already reported. I'll leave the rudimentary details to them, but we managed to strike a deal with Master Dennet, the details of which I've sent to Cullen. Roselinde seems to be growing more confident in her abilities thanks to the training of Barbaras; as relentless as it is. What she lacks in battle prowess she seems to make up for in spirit. Our forces here have settled on calling him the "Black Wolf". I would hesitate to embrace the name, had I not seen him in combat. I do not yet know if I trust him to be connected to Thonrath as you so believe, but his abilities far surpass anything a normal man can do. I also find his devotion respectable. We'll be investigating a supposed cult in the hills next. Send a prayer to the Maker for us._

_Your dear friend,_

_-C. P_

Leliana smiled at her friend's words. She always loved reading reports from Cassandra. They were straight to the point but with careful observation you could observe the woman she hid just below the surface. She moved onto the next report, no doubt one of her scouts reporting the "rudimentary details" Cass had mentioned. It was as she was shuffling the papers around that a small one fell out. It was a small piece of parchment, wrapped almost look a scroll with a little red ribbon. She furrowed her brow, slowly untying the ribbon and flattening out the small page. It read:

_Sister Leliana_,

_How do you do? I found myself thinking back to our conversation on keeping faith in times such as these. I hope you took my advice to heart. It would be tragic for your god to lose the devotion of a faithful one such as yourself. On the subject of your God, I was hoping you could give me more insight. Cassandra expressed shock and awe when I gave offerings to my gods. Do you not do the same? How does he look upon those who have sinned? What role does Andraste play in the grand scheme? Also, I find myself curious about this legend of Thonroth he you seem to have attached me to. You, of course are a busy woman so I understand if you do not get back to me. This conversation can even wait until my return. I simply find conversation with you stimulating. _

_May the Gods blessings smile upon you,_

_-B.H.D_

Leliana's eyebrows rose in surprise. Then she smiled. Her interest was heightened to say the least. _Stimulating, hm?_

OO

Cullen was mulling over the report which Cassandra had given. If Master Dennet was to help the Inquisition, he had requested watch towers that would better protect the Redcliffe farmers. Cullen only hoped that the new recruits pouring in from the Hinterlands or existing forces had some experience with carpentry. Nelson, his lieutenant from Kirkwall who insisted he followed Cullen rather than the order, had assured him there would be someone. After all, what farm boy hadn't helped his father repairing and fixing things around the stead? Nelson could attest.

"I just wish we didn't have to jump through hopes to procure something as simple as horses." Cullen said ruefully. Nelson shrugged.

"I grew up in the Hinterlands, even visited Master Dennet a few times. His request seems amicable, he really cares about the people of Redcliffe." Nelson said. Cullen nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Send word to the men, any and all within the forces capable of carpentry need to gather and move out. Give them the locations Cassandra specified as well." Cullen commanded, Nelson firmly saluting before going to do his duty. Cullen sighed heavily. Even in his little room in the chantry, he could feel the pressures building. There was so much to do and with demons spilling out of the sky, every moment felt wasted, no matter the cause. Josephine entered his room once again, a smile on her lips.

"Um, hello Lady Josephine. Was there something else you needed?"

"Well, Leliana found this letter in a pile of reports you sent her, it seems as if you probably didn't mean for it to be there." Josephine said with a teasing tone, handing Cullen a slightly crumpled note. Cullen took it with a look of confusion and raised brow. Then he read the works. His face flushed red. _Oh sweet maker_.

"I-um. Well I just-" Cullen sputtered, making Josephine laugh. He'd been doing a lot of that lately mostly at his expense.

"Yes, yes. I'm _sure_ you just wanted to check on her. Your chivalry is endearing, Cullen. Cute even." she said, leaving the room seeming to hold back a giggle. Cullen wanted to die of embarrassment. Roselinde had made an impression on him. He remembered being briefly shocked at her simple beauty when she first walked into the war room. He also found her humor and spirit amusing and admirable and in quiet moments, found himself wondering how she was doing in the Hinterlands. Enough to inspire an attempt at a letter. Unfortunately, he had little talent for the written word and gave up. Now, he'd have to endure endless teasing from Leliana and Josephine. _Great_.

OO

Barbaras had liked the old horse Master. Of course, he didn't vocalize his opinion, but he respected his demand that the Redcliffe people be taken care of before he provided the inquisition with horses. Roselinde had talked to the daughter of Dennet, going so far as to complete frivolous race courses she'd set up all over the farm. Barbaras didn't protest, only snorted and looked over his prayer book. He glanced up to see her laughing and smiling as she road the horse, Varric on the back no doubt cracking jokes and causing the laughter. _At least it's good for morale_. Cassandra ordered the regiment of Inquisition soldiers to make camp nearby and kill any threats that would harm the farmers, putting them into the good graces of Dennet's wife. Barbaras nearly rolled his eyes when Dennet had offered Roselinde herself a horse. Her reaction had been far too joyous and childlike for someone of her station. She picked a strong Fereldan Forder which she gave the distasteful name of Brownie. He just hoped she could shoot a bow from a-top the horse half-decently. Otherwise, he'd have to teach her.

After affairs at the Farm were wrapped up, they headed for the hills, where a Cult was rumored to hide. Of course, between them and the supposed cult were only a small army of conflicting mages, templars and unsealed rifts. Barbaras kept a close eye on Roselinde throughout their battles. He observed little things that he'd need to remind her of, but she seemed to have a decent grasp on the basics. He couldn't let her become complacent. During once such battle, they were fighting demons from a rift when Roselinde was knocked down from a particularly heavy strike from a Shade demon. The demon was easily dispatched by Cassandra and Solas rushed in to heal, but Roselinde waved him off. She still had to close the rift. She did so, falling to her knees afterwards with labored breath.

"How many times must I tell you to be aware of your surroundings, girl?" Barbaras growled. Roselinde looked at him with a glare,

"Well I'm sorry I was focused on watching _your-_" Barbaras narrowed his eyes at her, stopping her rebuttal.

"_I_ and every other capable warrior here are more than able to watch our own backs. It is dangerous when we must instead keep an eye out for you. You're the Herald. Stop acting like such a petulant child." Barbaras said coldly. She did nothing but grumble in reply. Solas had an intriguing look on his face as he slowly healed her.

Barbaras stayed behind the group, watching their flank while Pilate soared far above their heads, keeping an eye out for danger on the road ahead.

"Why do you treat her so harshly, Barbaras?" Solas's light voice broke his concentration. Barbaras glanced at him,

"Because it is necessary. Are you of same mind as the dwarf? Do you think I should coddle her, too?" he asked. After a while Solas shook his head.

"No. I understand the necessity. Your treatment of her, however, seems to go beyond what is necessary." Solas said. _Ahhh, I see now_.

"Questioning my motives now, are we elf?" Barbaras asked with a dangerous look. Solas shook his head.

"No. I think you're trustworthy, Barbaras. I'm just curious about your motivations for treating her so poorly." Solas said.

"Look up, Solas. There are demons falling out of the sky and they sure as hell aren't waiting for Roselinde to stumble her way through a battlefield. This conversation is _over_." Barbaras growled, walking slightly ahead of Solas. _Nosy Elf_.

OO

Solas watched Barbaras walk. He lied of course. He didn't trust Barbaras, he couldn't. There was something big. Something he wasn't telling them. He sensed immense magical power within him, something that transcended the limits of a single person. Solas wondered with intense curiosity what secrets the man from the sky held.

OO

When they arrived at Winter watch Tower they met a woman who stood in the front, dressed in robes and regarding them with a shrewd look on her face. Roselinde was not in the mood. She was tired, sore, and certainly _not_ in the mood to talk to people.

"You…you're who they call the Herald of Andraste." the woman said. Roselinde held back her sigh.

"Yes, that's what people call me." she confirmed. The woman narrowed her eyes.

"And what do you believe you are? The Maker has not told me." she said. _Great. The rumors of a cult weren't just rumors._ Roselinde thought carefully.

"Yes, I am the Herald of Andraste." she said with confidence.

"Then it is true that you hold the power from the sky? Can you control the rifts?"

"I smell Demons." Barbaras warned, drawing his sword.

"I can seal them, yes." Roselinde said. She hoped to the Maker this wasn't a trap.

"Then show me your power." she said ominously, the gate suddenly opening as if willed to by the woman. Roselinde held back a shiver.

"Towards the back of the tower, I can sense a rift in the Fade." Solas whispered as they slowly made their way through. Roselinde felt her anxiety lessen. As she looked left and right she saw that most of the people there were refugees, clearly desperate for a safe place away from the conflict. Their faces were sullen and their tones were hushed, but she saw something change within them as she walked past. There was a glimmer of hope in their eyes. Their shoulders seemed to straighten slightly, as if the weight of war and demons was slightly lifted. _This_ was the effect of the Herald of Andraste. _This_ was who she had to be now. She shrugged her bow into her hands.

"Let's kill some demons, shall we?"

OO

Varric was proud of the girl. She was standing tall, maybe taller than she realized. Maybe even tall enough to make him believe she _was_ what she said she was. What they discovered in the back of the tower was yet another rift. Barbaras charged in without saying a word, attacking the demons like a man possessed. Varric hung back, slinging bolt after bolt into the Demon's flesh. Cassandra charged to Barbaras's side, bashing and slashing the demon's into dust. The two seemingly fought well together. A wraith was staring down the two frontline warriors. Varric shot a bolt, the Wraith flinched out of its attack. An arrow from Roselinde finished it off. He cast a glance at Roselinde. She flashed him a grin. She reminded him almost too much of Hawke. Varric felt the ground shake beneath him and dived out of the way just as a Terror Demon burst from it. Solas came to the rescue, freezing the ugly creature. Varric cranked Bianca as far back as she'd go. He fired, the creature bursting into icy chunks. Cassandra and Barbaras were tangled with a Rage demon, Barbaras hiding behind Cassandra and her shield whenever the thing blasted fire. He saw Roselinde being fast approached by two shade demons. She killed one with an arrow but the other got in close. She learned her lesson, rolling out of range of its strike and firing yet another shot. It turned to dust. She was one hell of a quick study. With a powerful strike from Cassandra and a finisher from Barbaras the rage demon was rendered nothing but dust.

"Finish it up, Butterfingers!" Varric called as Solas destroyed the last wraith with a blast of ice. Roselinde ran up raising her hand in a triumphant shout. With a burst of green light, the rift was closed.

OO

Most were in awe of Roselinde's power and the woman, who now introduced herself as Speaker Anais and pledged herself and her people to the Inquisiton. Roselinde asked her to go forth and spread the word of the Inquisition. _A Smart move_ Cassandra thought. Having religious support of any kind at this point would help their cause. She found that she and Barbaras were fighting incredibly well together. Granted, his ferocious nature was still a little off-putting but she could respect someone who could handle a blade.

"You fought well, Barbaras." she said to him, as they followed one of the Speaker's followers to a room they'd be staying in.

"You too, Seeker." Barbaras said simply. Surprising. She expected him to lash out in some way. Pilate squawked at her from his shoulder. She smiled. What a funny little bird.

With the sun setting, the group settled into the watch tower. The morale of the place had been improved drastically thanks to the party's actions. Refugees and cultist alike spoke with fervor and hope. The Inquisition could fight the demons! Varric took Roselinde to their makeshift Tavern, as if bringing her around for a victory tour. Solas had gone off to where the rift had been, hoping to learn something from the Fade. Cassandra stood aboe on the battlements, watching as Roselinde was swarmed with curious onlookers and grateful refugees. Varric was no doubt smooth talking the crowd, increasing morale even further. She had first hated Varric when she met him in Kirkwall. He was deceptive, manipulative, and would take everything you had with a smile and having somehow convinced you that it was in _your_ favor. For all the things he was, however, she could admire how he helped the people. She glanced to her right only to see that Barbaras and Pilate had appeared, as if by magic.

"There is a young lord here, waiting for his betrothed. She hasn't come. I'm going to do some scouting, take a look at the hills and into a basin I saw on the way here." he reported. Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? You plan on going alone? In the dark?" she asked incredulously.

"I do. I'll be back before morning." he said simply, moving to leave. She grabbed his arm.

"It is too dangerous to go alone, Barbaras. You must know this." she said. Why was he being so difficult? Barbaras turned to look at her with an annoyed expression in his eyes.

"Quite aware of the dangers, Seeker. Fortunately, I'm _more_ dangerous. Unhand me. Now, please." he said, his tone neutral but on the edge of annoyance. She let go of his arm with a sigh.

"Fine. Do as you must. Do not blame me if you die alone, in the dark." she huffed. His face mask twitched. No doubt he was grinning.

"I am a Hunter Reaper, Lady Cassandra. I don't _die_ in the dark. I become _one_ with it." With that, the Hunter Reaper jumped down from the battlements, scaring the daylights out of the guards. No doubt he did that to everyone. She wanted to go with him so that he wasn't alone but instinct told her it was better she remain here. She took a deep breath. _I suppose I'll begin planning_. They had several factions to deal with, after all.

OO

Barbaras _loved_ the thrill of the hunt. He couldn't deny it any more than the fact that he breathed air. It was the accepting of that darkness that had brought him closer to Dice. He sprinted and slunk through the shadows, Pilate flying above him in complete silence. He made not a sound as he traversed the hilly, forested terrain. Just as he was trained. Just as Agamemnon had taught him. _Agamemnon_. His old mentor. He hadn't thought of him for a long time. He purged his mind of all thoughts, focusing all his spirit and magic essence into his senses. He could hear the haunting call of birds of the night, the occasional chirp of crickets and even the warning growl of a wolf. Not that the wolves would approach him. They knew better. Light caught his eyes as he slunk through the trees. He stopped just behind a rock, scoping out the scene. With just a cursory glance he could tell they were bandits. He grinned from underneath his face mask. Now came his prey. There were only five, a bowman, a mage and three swordsmen from the looks. _Childs-play_. They had been drinking from an entire barrel, no doubt something they stole from fleeing refugees. _Even _better. He pulled out his crossbow waiting until the group erupted into drunken laughter to deploy it to its full size. Without hesitation he pulled the trigger. The bolt made the mage's head almost burst on impact, pinning him to a nearby tree from the immense power of the crossbow. There was a brief silence. They stared at their now dead compatriot, blood pouring from the dead mage's eviscerated head. They looked to where the bolt came from. Nothing. Then a black shadow appeared behind the bowman. His comrades couldn't say a word before his throat flashed red. The dead man clawed at his wound, death quickly extinguishing the light from his eyes. The swordsmen began to shout, scrambling for their weapons. Barbaras jumped onto the back of one man with a growl, three stabs to the heart with his dagger sending him to the Maker. The bigger swordsman had managed to get a hold of his great sword but Pilate came swooping down with a shriek, scratching at the bandit's eyes. He screamed in pain but was silenced by one of Barbaras's throwing knives to his throat. The last one, a girl, faced him defiantly. She held two short swords, her eyes narrowed and fierce. The drink hadn't gotten to her yet. Barbaras stood over the bigger man, holding his dagger in his flesh hand. Blood dripped from the blade before splattering on the dirt as the two killers stared each other down.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Your Reaper." Barbaras said menacingly. He rushed forward with blinding speed attacking ferociously with his long dagger. It was all the woman could do to defend as Barbaras's quick and powerful strikes threatened to break her defense. Barbaras could _feel_ her panic. He _relished_ in it. She kicked out, hoping to set him off balance. He jumped, his metatide arm collapsing into a cannon. Her eyes widened. A _boom_ echoed throughout the night. Her right arm went flying. She screamed in pain. Barbaras landed on the ground, closing the distance. He suddenly blinked out of existence. The woman looked around wildly, screaming from the pain of her grievous injury. Every shadow seemed to move as she spun around, her remaining sword held in front of her like a protective charm. She then screamed in anguish and fear. It was no longer a question of if she would die. Only when. The night grew silent. No birds called. No wolves howled. No crickets chirped. It was as if the stars themselves had been extinguished. She no longer screamed. Even her own ragged breathing terrified her. She began running. It didn't matter where she ran. She just had to get _away_. Branches whipped her face as she sped through the forest. Once she got to open ground she'd be safe. She'd see him coming from any direction. A black mass suddenly dropped from the trees above in front of her. It was him. Her Reaper.

"Found you." he said ominously, his tone terrified her. It was almost as if he _enjoyed _this.

"Y-you monster." she whimpered. He took out his crossbow. It extended with a click and some clinking sounds.

"No." he said. A crossbow bolt pierced her skull before she could reply.

"I'm your worst fucking nightmare."

Barbaras back-tracked to the Bandit camp. The woman had some gold and other valuable baubles he could no doubt trade at the crossroads. He searched the others, finding similar items of value and a decent sum of gold. A successful hunt to say the least. That was, until he saw what was beyond the fire and their tents. An entire pile of refugees amassed in what equated to a natural ditch. There had to be at least twenty bodies stacked one atop the other. He could see children in the pile, their faces twisted in horror no child should have to experience. He spat at the nearest bandit corpse. _Damned scum_. He would have to report this location to Inquisition forces tomorrow so the victims could get a proper burial. The bandits no doubt killed them as they fled to the watchtower which gave Barbaras a sinking feeling. His instincts told him the Lord's betrothed was going to be somewhere in that pile. He was about to turn away from the heap of death when he heard something move faintly. An arm twitched near the top of the pile. Then, an arm poked out before reaching out feebly. It was on the smaller side and incredibly dirty.

"…Help me, please" he heard a feeble voice call. It sounded like a small girl. She sounded incredibly weak, on the verge of death from what Barbaras guessed. He widened his eyes. He darted over to the pile, moving bodies with ease until he found the source of the arm. A girl, dirty and disheveled with a stab wound to her gut. Barbaras immediately carried her over to the fire, muttering a chant before healing magic coursed through his veins and out his right hand. She was too weak to cry out but she winced as the flesh began to mend back together. After a few moments, the wound was healed but he knew she would be incredibly weak from blood loss. He set her against the nearest log, producing a piece of bread and water from his pack. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. He offered the bread to her but she didn't react. She just stared straight ahead, her hair caked in too much blood and dirt to tell what color it was. She seemed a peasant from what she wore, a simple jerkin and trousers now disheveled and torn hideously. He then looked closer at her eyes and realized why she didn't react. They were milky white, she was blind.

"Are you blind, girl?" he asked her. She shivered in response. He took off his crossbow holster and wrapped her in his coat.

"Y-yes." she said numbly. Her voice was small but he sensed an ounce of strength in it. She'd managed to survive as long as she did after all. Climbing to the top of the pile of corpses with a stab wound would be a daunting task for anyone, let alone a small girl such as herself.

"Do you have a name?" he asked her.

"Robin." she murmured.

"Robin, hm? My name's Barbaras. Here, take this." Barbaras said, putting the piece of bread in her small hand.

"It's bread. Once you've had a few bites, I'll give you water." Barbaras said. She nodded slowly, taking small but hungry bites of the bread. It wasn't long before hunger took over the girl's instincts as she began consuming the bread at a rapid pace. It reminded Barbaras of his early days. He unscrewed his water jerkin, angling her head with one hand while pouring the water with the other. She nearly drank the whole think before she made a noise. He brought it away from her lips as she coughed and sputtered. He put it back into pack. It looked as if he wouldn't be back before the morning.

"T-thank you for saving me." Robin managed to get out despite her hacking. Barbaras said nothing, instead getting up and going through the tents. He found the least disgusting bedroll and laid it in front of the fire.

"I'm going to put you into a bedroll now. Get some sleep, your body needs to recover." Barbaras said. She nodded. He picked her up once again, setting her gently into the bedroll, making sure she was completely covered before going over to his coat and crossbow. He was about to scout the perimeter to make sure the Bandits didn't have any friends that were coming back soon when he heard the girl say something. He moved closer to her.

"What?" he said.

"Can you stay here? I'm scared." she said. Barbaras could nearly hear the quivering in her face. This was natural after all. He couldn't imagine the horror she'd endured.

"I can, Robin." he said firmly, sitting on the log nearest to her. He took out his crossbow and deployed it to its full size and set it on his lap. He closed his eyes and focused all his energy into his hearing. Pilate took off from his shoulder without a sound; they had done this routine many times before. He felt something small clasp his boot at the ankle. He looked down. Robin's hand clutched it like a lifeline.

"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were here." she said quietly. Barbaras almost smiled.

"Do as you must, Robin. I am here."


End file.
